Lewis Chessmen

The Lewis Chessmen are a group of intricately carved 12th-century chess pieces made from walrus ivory and whale tooth, discovered on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. Likely crafted in Norway, they offer a fascinating glimpse into medieval life and artistry. Today, they are among the most famous treasures of the British Museum.

**Lewis chessman** British Museum [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2024-03-05_British_Museum_64.jpg) **Lewis chessman** British Museum [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2024-03-05_British_Museum_65.jpg) **Lewis chessman** British Museum [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2024-03-05_British_Museum_66.jpg) **Lewis chessman** British Museum [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2024-03-05_British_Museum_63.jpg) **Lewis chessman** The Lewis Chessmen in the British Museum were probably made in Norway, about AD 1150-1200 Found on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland The chess pieces 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. [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beserker,_Lewis_Chessmen,_British_Museum.jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_(15139263599).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_(15139463777).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_(15139464197).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_(48931019038).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_(48931560166).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_(48931561736).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_(48931747882).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_-_Room_40_Lewis_Chess_Pieces_(19787868354).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_-_Room_40_Lewis_Chess_Pieces_(20222522988).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_-_Room_40_Lewis_Chess_Pieces_(20223858119).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_-_Room_40_Lewis_Chess_Pieces_(20223863409).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_-_Room_40_Lewis_Chess_Pieces_(20223864019).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_-_Room_40_Lewis_Chess_Pieces_(20223865099).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_-_Room_40_Lewis_Chess_Pieces_(20384270586).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_-_Room_40_Lewis_Chess_Pieces_(20410506025).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_-_Room_40_Lewis_Chess_Pieces_(20416658531).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_-_Room_40_Lewis_Chess_Pieces_(20416690091).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chess_(2659096677).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chess_Pieces_(11229711744).jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Knight,_Lewis_Chessmen,_British_Museum.jpg) **Lewis chessman** One of the Lewis chessmen. This is a cropped version of File:Lewis Chessman, British Museum.jpg. [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_Chessman,_British_Museum_(crop).jpg) **Lewis chessman** The Lewis Chessmen in the British Museum were probably made in Norway, about AD 1150-1200 Found on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland The chess pieces 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. [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_Chessman,_British_Museum.jpg) **Lewis chessman** Lewis Chessmen - British Museum - Joy of Museums [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_Chessmen_-_British_Museum_-_Joy_of_Museums_2.jpg) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and other collections. A warder (rook) with number of permanent collection BM 119 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_16.JPG) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen,_British_museum,_London.jpg) **Lewis chessman** I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following licenses: 14 April 2008 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_Chessmen.jpg) **Lewis chessman** Lewis chessmen from the outer hebridies 12th century. Bishops in the British Museum. [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_Schach_Bischof_2_Hebriden_12_Jhd.JPG) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Lewis_chess_pieces_(9080210746).jpg) **Lewis chessman** The Lewis Chessmen in the British Museum were probably made in Norway, about AD 1150-1200 Found on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland The chess pieces 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. [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Warder,_Lewis_Chessmen,_British_Museum.jpg) **Lewis chessman** Two kings and two queens from the Uig, or Lewis chessmen at the British Museum. 3 December 2004 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UigChessmen_SelectionOfKings.jpg) **Lewis chessman** I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UigChessmen_SelectionOfPieces.jpg) **Lewis chessman** Lewis chessmen piece, British Museum. [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Warrior,_Lewis_chessmen,_British_Museum_crop.jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Warrior,_Lewis_chessmen,_British_Museum.jpg) **Lewis chessman** [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Le_roi_(pi%C3%A8ce_d%27un_jeu_d%27%C3%A9chec_m%C3%A9di%C3%A9val_en_ivoire)_(14496303221).jpg) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and other collections. A warder (rook) with number of permanent collection NMS 29 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_01.JPG) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum and other collections. A king with number of permanent collection NMS 20 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_02.JPG) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and other collections. A king with number of permanent collection NMS 20 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_03.JPG) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum and other collections. A knight with number of permanent collection NMS 27 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_04.JPG) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and other collections. A bishop with number of permanent collection NMS 26 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_05.JPG) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum and other collections. A knight with number of permanent collection NMS 27 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_07.JPG) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and other collections. A warder (rook) with number of permanent collection NMS 29 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_08.JPG) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and other collections. A pawn with number of permanent collection BM 127 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_09.JPG) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and other collections. A king with number of permanent collection NMS 20 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_10.JPG) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and other collections. A queen with number of permanent collection NMS 23 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_11.JPG) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and other collections. A bishop with number of permanent collection NMS 26 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_12.JPG) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and other collections. A king with number of permanent collection NMS 19 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_13.JPG) **Lewis chessman** A king piece of the so-called Lewis chessmen. This image is a cropped version of File:Lewis chessmen 14.JPG. [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_14,_cropped.jpg) **Lewis chessman** One of the Lewis chessmen. This image is a cropped version of: File:Lewis chessmen 15.JPG. [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_15_(crop).jpg) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and other collections. A warder (rook) with number of permanent collection NMS 28 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_15.JPG) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and other collections. A queen with number of permanent collection BM 85 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_17.JPG) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and other collections. A queen with number of permanent collection NMS ?? [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_18.JPG) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and other collections. A queen with number of permanent collection H.NS 21. [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_25.JPG) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and other collections. A queen with number of permanent collection NMS 21 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_26.JPG) **Lewis chessman** Exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland. Pieces from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland and other collections. A warder (rook) with number of permanent collection NMS 29 [Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_chessmen_27.JPG)