Chessman

Description

Chessman or chess piece, warder or rook as a berserker, wearing an aketon, biting the top of his shield with sword raised and helmet on head, standing, of walrus ivory, found in an underground chamber in the parish of Uig, Lewis in 1831: Scandinavian, late 12th century

Museum reference

H.NS 29

Object name

Chessman, Chess piece

Production information

Scandinavia, EUROPE

Date

Late 12th century

Materials

Walrus ivory

Collection place(s)

Uig, Lewis, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, Northern Europe

Exhibitions

• Angels, Nobles and Unicorns: Art and Patronage in Medieval Scotland (12 Aug 1982 - 26 Sep 1982)
  Royal Museum of Scotland

• 26 Treasures in the National Museum of Scotland (01 Dec 2011 - 29 Jan 2012)
  World Wide Web

• Vikings (30 Nov 2005 - 01 Oct 2006)
  Australian National Maritime Museum
  Auckland War Memorial Museum

References

Glenn, Virginia, Romanesque & Gothic: Decorative Metalwork and Ivory Carvings in the Museum of Scotland, NMSE Publishing, Edinburgh, 2003

Caldwell, D.H. (ed). Angels Nobles and Unicorns: Art and Patronage in Medieval Scotland. Edinburgh: NMS, 1982

Caldwell, D.H., Hall, M.A. and Wilkinson, C.M., 2009, ‘The Lewis Hoard of Gaming Pieces; a re-examination of their context, meanings, discovery and manufacture’, Medieval Archaeology 53 (2009), 155-203

Links to other web pages

Canmore Site Record

On display

national museum of scotland »
level 1 »
scotland galleries »
kingdom of the scots »
scotland defined