The Lewis Chessmen: The Enigma of the Hoard

A great hoard of 12th-century chesspieces was discovered in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, in circumstances which have never been fully explained. Carved from walrus tusks, the Lewis chessmen have been described as "the greatest chessmen of the European Middle Ages". This illustrated account of the chesspieces is accompanied by a review of the place of the chessmen within the history of the ancient game of chess and of Romanesque art and its medieval context. Specially commissioned line drawings illustrate the intricate detail of the decorative carving and shield patterns of the pieces.