LEWIS CHESSMEN

In April of 1831, at The Society of Antiquaries in Scotland, Captain Roderick Ryrie first exhibited the most significant chess pieces in history: The Lewis Chessmen. Carved from walrus ivory (and a few whales’ teeth) in the 12th century and discovered on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, the pieces comprise one of the few surviving medieval chess sets and are today permanently enshrined in the British Museum and the National Museum of Scotland. To learn more, visit the NMS website -  and shop our collection of chess-themed products, including our knitted chess sweater and hand-embroidered Lewis Chessman patch.