Found in 1831 on a beach on the Isle of Lewis in the Scottish Hebrides — hidden in a stone chamber, probably buried by a merchant who never came back.
They were carved in Norway, most likely in Trondheim, from walrus ivory.
At almost 900 years old, they are among the finest medieval objects in existence.
What makes them extraordinary is their faces — the bishops serene, the knights determined, the queens resting their heads on their hands with an expression of quiet worry.
The warders (rooks) are biting their shields, a reference to the Norse tradition of berserkers working themselves into battle fury.
These are real medieval people, caught in ivory.
Fun fact: of the 93 pieces found, 82 are here and 11 are in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
If you have seen them in a Harry Potter film, those were replicas.
The real ones are in this case.
