page_title: Game pieces of the Lewis chessmen hoard
section_title: Attributes of types of piece
hierarchical_section_title: Game pieces of the Lewis chessmen hoard / Attributes of types of piece
caption_attribution_description: This file was uploaded as part of a partnership between Wikimedia UK and the National Museum of Scotland. This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing. This work is free and may be used by anyone for any purpose. If you wish to use this content, you do not need to request permission as long as you follow any licensing requirements mentioned on this page. Wikimedia Foundation has received an e-mail confirming that the copyright holder has approved publication under the terms mentioned on this page. This correspondence has been reviewed by an OTRS member and stored in our permission archive. The correspondence is available to trusted volunteers&#160;as ticket #2019101510006699. If you have questions about the archived correspondence, please use the OTRS noticeboard. Ticket link: https://ticket.wikimedia.org/otrs/index.pl?Action=AgentTicketZoom&amp;TicketNumber=2019101510006699 H.NS 19: Chess piece, king, crowned and wearing a long mantle over a dalmatic, seated on throne with sword across knees, of walrus ivory, found in an underground chamber in the parish of Uig, Lewis in 1831: Scandinavian, late 12th century
context_page_description: The ninety-three game pieces of the Lewis chessmen hoard were found on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Medieval in origin, they were first exhibited in Edinburgh in 1831 but it is unclear how much earlier they had been discovered. The hoard comprised seventy-eight distinctive chess pieces and fifteen other non-chess pieces, nearly all carved from walrus tusk ivory, and they are now displayed at the British Museum in London and National Museums Scotland in Edinburgh. Another chess piece, which turned up in 1964 and in 2019 was attributed to have come from the original hoard, now belongs to an undisclosed owner.
  The style of carving, particularly that on the thrones of the seated figures, suggests they are Scandinavian in origin, most likely from Trondheim, the medieval capital of Norway until 1217.
  The types of piece are similar to those in modern chess – the chessmen are the earliest found that have figures in clerical dress. The rooks are represented as warriors which came to be called "warders" at an early stage after they were discovered. Four of the warders are shown biting their shields – these have been identified as the berserkers of the Norse sagas.
context_section_description: There are 79 chess pieces including the one recently found, a warder. Of these pieces, 60 are major pieces and 19 are pawns. In addition to these there are 14 plain ivory discs. There is also a single ivory buckle which might have been part of a bag holding the hoard. The pieces are carved from walrus tusk ivory except for at least three made from whale tooth. None of the pieces now show any sign of colouring, even under detailed scrutiny, but in 1832 Madden reported several pieces as being coloured red, some deeply so.
  The major pieces all have attributes showing what type of piece they are. The kings and queens are seated on thrones. The kings have long braided hair (except one) and hold in their right hand a sheathed sword resting across their knees. They wear a long mantle fastened at the right shoulder over various other types of clothing, and their crown has four trefoils. The queens are all cupping their chin in their right hand. Their long hair in braids is covered with a veil and their crown is either like the kings' or has a continuous pierced band. Covering their gown, the queens have a long mantle or cloak leaving a gap at the front.
  The bishops are most variable in design – some are standing and others are seated and they are dressed in one of two types of liturgical vestments: five wear a cope over a tunicle, and the others wear pontifical vestments: a chasuble and stole over a dalmatic, over an alb. They are all clean-shaven, wear a mitre over their cropped shoulder-length hair, and are holding a crozier with one or both hands. Some bishops are holding a book or are giving a blessing. 
  The knights have beards and moustaches and are mounted on rather small horses equipped with stirrups and bridles. They are wearing long gambesons with belts and are carrying spears and long, narrow kite-shaped shields. When they carry swords they are hung from a baldric over the shoulder.
  The warders have long straight hair and they are all standing with drawn swords, variously shaped helmets, and shields – four warders are biting their shields. Most are wearing long gambesons but a few wear chain mail, usually incorporating a chain mail hood.
  The pawns are not figurative in design and are either bullet-shaped or slab-like. Two have some engraved ornamentation. The discs are very plain with two or three inscribed circumferential circles.
caption: Back of king's throne (H.NS 19)
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