ONLINE ONLY ESTATE COLLECTABLE AUCTION
Thursday, 12 - Monday, 16 September 2024
BRITISH MUSEUM LEWIS CHESS SET REPLICA 555x280x135mm
Current Bid $460 (32 bids, reserve met)
This lot is now closed 16 Sep 8:08 PM (NZST)
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Lot Details
Exclusive to the British Museum, a premium chess set based on the iconic Lewis Chessmen. This incredible set features 32 hand-finished playing pieces, each of which is cast in the UK from moulds made of the original playing figures, and a laser-cut wooden board which is expertly crafted in Spain from high quality grain Walnut and Sycamore veneer. The bases of the pieces are felted to protect the board. This set includes a copy of the Lewis Chessmen book, part of the British Museum’s Object in Focus series of titles. Please note, as the pieces are hand-painted, the colouring of the playing pieces may vary from the image. The Lewis Chessmen consist of elaborately worked walrus ivory and whales’ teeth in the forms of seated kings and queens, mitred bishops, knights on their mounts, standing warders and pawns in the shape of obelisks. They were found in the vicinity of Uig on the Isle of Lewis, but were probably made in Norway, in around 1150-1200 AD. At this time, the Western Isles where the Chessmen were buried were part of the kingdom of Norway, and not Scotland as they are today. Although very few details of the origins of the Chessmen are known, it is possible that they belonged to a merchant travelling from Norway and that they were buried for safekeeping on route to be traded in Ireland. This seems likely as there are enough pieces, though with some elements missing, to make four sets. No exact account of the discovery remains, but they apparently came to light after the collapse of a sand-bank on the coast of the island revealed their hiding place to a passing islander. All that is certain is that they were found some time before 11th April 1831 when they were exhibited at the Society of the Antiquaries in Scotland. Of the original 93 pieces discovered on the Isle of Lewis, 82 pieces are now housed in the British Museum. A magnificent gift which will serve both as an entertaining game, and as a sensational home ornament.
