Ancient Museum Store

Discovered in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis (largest island of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland), the Isle of Lewis Chess Set is one of the most remarkable artifacts from the medieval age. Their discovery was quite by accident when a sand bank receded and revealed them. Their precise history and provenance in unknown but the pieces exhibit a Scandinavian workmanship with interlocking animal and floral patterns and compact figures dating back to the mid to late 12th century. The originals are a beloved and unusual set carved from walrus ivory housed in both the British Museum and the National Museum in Edinburgh.