Lewis Chess Pieces Part I

The last sea day before Mauritius.

Viking is a Norwegian flagged ship and has Scandinavian design elements. One that I overlooked was some chess pieces on display in the atrium. Turns out they are replicas of historic Lewis Chess Pieces and today one of the speakers described their history.

The real chess pieces (93 of them) were found buried in Uig on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland by Calum nan Sprot, a peasant, either in a box or a bag in 1831. They were sold to Roderick Ririe who sold them to TA Forest who later offered them to the Scottish museum who turned them down. The Assistant Manager of Manuscripts at the British Museum, Sir Frederick Madden, was a chess aficionado and recognized them as valuable historic chess pieces so he persuaded the museum to purchase them for $15,000 even though the museum was only collecting Greek and Roman pieces. But 11 were also sold to a private collector. Later these pieces were donated to the Scottish Museum who, realizing their previous mistake, gratefully accepted them. In total the British museum has 82, the Scottish museum has 11 so there are 5 missing. Recently one was discovered tucked away in a drawer and auctioned for
$950,000.

They were made from walrus tusk and sperm whale tooth ivory that was available in Scandinavia and Iceland. The designs date them from between 1150 and 1200.

So how did they get to the coast of Scotland? It is speculated that they were being shipped to a rich merchant in Clonard, Ireland. Either through a shipwreck or deserting sailor they made it to Scotland where a local thief either found or stole them. But they were too distinctive to sell without being noticed (like gold or silver coins) so he buried them where they were dug up 200 years later.

Where were they made? The best accepted theory is Norway where there were craftsman well known to have the necessary skills. However I like the theory that they were made by Margaret the Adroit in Iceland and sent to Scandanavia and later sent to Ireland.

There are still 5 missing so check your drawers and attics.

And look forward to Part II after Mauritius.Читать далее