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I would love to have a chess set like the Lewis chess-men! Have you seen them in the British Museum? They are beautiful!
Lewis chessmen reunited after 170 years for tour of ScotlandFigures carved from whale teeth and walrus ivory found in Western Isles at some point before 1831
They were worked from polished walrus ivory and whale teeth by Norse craftsmen more than 800 years ago, and weigh in at less than 245 grams.
Now, more than 170 years after the Lewis chessmen were found buried under a Scottish beach, many will be reunited after years of wrangling.
The Scottish culture minister, Michael Russell, and Bonnie Greer, the deputy chair of the British Museum’s trustees, confirmed 30 of the 93 chess pieces will be reunited for the first time in more than a century for a tour of Scotland.
The Lewis chessmen have puzzled historians and irritated Scottish nationalists since they were found on a beach on Uig, on the west side of Lewis in the Western Isles, at some point before 1831.
Some believe they may have been buried for safekeeping by a merchant travelling from Norway to Ireland; others think they belonged to a nobleman in what was then a powerful island kingdom linked to Norway.
The set was broken up after being exhibited by the Scottish Society of Antiquaries in 1831, which could not afford to buy it. An Edinburgh dealer sold the pieces for 80 guineas to the British Museum, which now holds 82 of them. The remaining 11 are kept by the National Museum of Scotland.
Russell said the Scottish National party government firmly believed the entire set belonged in Scotland, but had compromised with the British Museum.
Nationalists claim the controversy is akin to the row over the Elgin marbles, but others say the chessmen were freely sold when Scotland could not afford them.
Source:Here
A very interesting bit of history. It reminds me of the result of my investigation into the Paul Morphy Set and it’s whereabouts. The journey traveled from New Orleans to New York, the two souls of American Chess history. Luckily I was able to dig up what more industrious adventurers into the maze found through their writings.
Don.
Hi Don
You should do an entry on your blog about it! It would be interesting to read all about it.
Very nice pieces! Amazing detail.
Hi Connie, Yes, they are. I have photos taken in the museum, but they are not that great to post here. They are really beautiful.
Ek het op Wikipedia nog fotos gesien oa fotos wat in die museum geneem is.
hi Connie, ek het omtrent 10 van hulle op my rekenaar wat ek op ‘n site gekry het, baie mooi en duidelik. Ek sal kyk of ek hulle oor die naweek kan oplaai.
Regtig mooi. Moet se, met my “Skotse konneksie” dink ek ook die hele lot hoort in Skotland. 😉
En geluk met die feit dat julle ‘n ‘outstanding’ skool is!
Hi Vlam, dankie vir die gelukwense, ons het dit in ‘n Pub gaan vier.. 🙂 The Pink Lily.. elkeen ‘n drankie “op die huis”. Ek moet se, ons is almal nogal poegaai en die hoof smile lekker breed. Ja, ek sal ook wil he die skaakstukke moet Skotland toe gaan, hierdie Britte het net als vir hulle in die verlede gesteel. Daar is nog ander dinge ook wat moet teruggaan na ander lande wat in hierdie museum van hulle is. Baie inhalig, hierdie Ingilse! 🙂
Hmm. I always thought that the Lewis chessmen were here in Cleveland. Maybe I’m thinking of a similar set. I’ll have to check it out the next time I’m in the other building.
I guess “ours” are fakes, LOL! http://www.cpl.org/010012/chess/enchanted/CHESS69.html
They are “fake” [haha…]