 Two kings and two queens from the Uig, or Lewis chessmen at the British Museum. Image by
Photograph © Andrew Dunn, via Wikimedia Commons. Licensed CC BY-SA 2.0 |
The ChessmenLewis chessmen Lewis chessmen Group of 12th-century chess pieces The Lewis chessmen (Scottish Gaelic: Fir-thàilisg Leòdhais [fiɾʲˈhaːlɪʃkʲ loː.ɪʃ]) or Uig chessmen, named after the island or the bay where they were found,[1] are a group of distinctive 12th-century chess pieces, along with other game pieces, most of which are carved from walrus ivory. Discovered in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland,[2] they may constitute some of the few complete, surviving medieval chess sets, although it is not clear if a single complete period-accurate set can be assembled from the pieces. When found, the hoard contained 94 objects: 78 chess pieces, 14 tablemen (pieces for backgammon or similar games) and one belt buckle. Today, 82… (Source: Wikipedia)
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