Irving finkel and the chamber of lewis chessmen i curators. The lewis chessmen 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. Forensic research, historic analysis and excellent pictures show the. The lewis chessmen were found on the isle of lewis in mysterious circumstances. Forensic research, historic analysis and excellent pictures.
In the lewis gaming hoard in context new analyses of their art, purpose and place in history. The 93 lewis chessmen, bought by the british museum and by what is now the national museum of scotland in the mid nineteenth century, were made in twelfthcentury scandinavia, from ivory and whales teeth. The trilogy is centered around the life of fin macleod, formerly a detective inspector in the edinburgh police force. A fascinating little book which sheds new light on the origins of the famous isle of lewis chessmen. Aug 29, 2015 the lewis chessmenbones of contention. The lewis chessmen or uig chessmen, named after the island or the bay where they were found, are a group of distinctive 12thcentury chess pieces, along with. Irving finkel and the chamber of lewis chessmen i curator. History and surface condition of the lewis chessmen in the. Goodreads members who liked the lewis chessmen obje. The lewis chessmen uk import book new 9780714150239. The chessmen are made primarily from walrus tusks and the consensus among scholars is that they are great works of art. The chessmen by peter may, 9780857382252, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Curator irving finkel recounts a magical adventure with the lewis chessmen. And as the arc of fins story reaches its end, so many questions from the series are finally answered, allowing fin to finally put the past behind him and look towards a future of many possibilities.
The recent story of the medieval chess piece picked up an antiques dealer for. Viking, isle of lewis chess set, medieval bookends are enlarged reproductions of the 12thcentury chessmen found in 1831 on the island of lewis in the hebrides, scotland. A modern forensic study into the most specacular chessme. Fin macleod thought hed escaped into his new life in edinburgh. Nov 26, 2019 the final book in the series is called the chessmen, and its plot centers on a character who handcarves replicas of the chessmen from driftwood. Chessmen was found around 1831 on the isle of lewis but dates back to probably the 12th century. Buy the lewis chessmen by j robinson online at alibris. The lewis chessmen belong to a group of archaeological objects, which nearly everyone knows and can identify by sight. Way more information than you ever wanted on how to fell a tree. Living again of the isle of lewis, exdetective inspector fin macleod is working as a security officer for a local landowner. Apr 18, 2017 the lewis chessmen are 93 gaming pieces found in the vicinity of uig on the isle of lewis around 1831.
In 2014 six of the british museums collection will be moved and displayed in a purposebuilt museum in stornoway, isle of lewis, about 20 miles from where they were discovered. What i enjoyed about this novel was the interwoven storylines, the atmospheric descriptions of the western isles and. The origin and surrounding mystery of these chessmen has been a source of undying speculation. In the chessmen, the final book in the lewis trilogy, fin again is made to face the past as he unravels a tapestry of lies and misdirection. Ever since the ivory pieces were discovered sometime before 1831 on the isle of lewis in scotlands outer hebrides, these kings.
The chessmen the lewis trilogy peter may excop fin has returned to his hometown on the isle of lewis for a fresh start but doovers rarely go as planned. These enchanting chess pieces consist of elaborately worked walrus ivory and whales teeth in the. Pictures of various pieces of the set are included with an interesting commentary about when the pieces created and who might have cr. The lewis chessmen uk import book new 9780714150239 ebay. This book uses new research to look at the hoards origins. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. You can also learn more about them in our objects in focus book and shop the museums lewis chessmen collection including a replica set here. Nov 02, 2015 the lewis chessmen are the most important chess pieces in history. New book captures their spirit while presenting us with a very detailed look of the material they were made of and how they were produced.
Dec 30, 2004 the lewis chessmen objects in focus by. Nuestro legado hispanoour hispanic legacy posts facebook. The black house, the lewis man and the chessmen ebook. Medieval bookends inspired by the isle of lewis chessmen colors may very, due to each item being hand painted and detailed, unique and one of a kind. Made from walrus ivory some time between ad 1150 and 1200, the lewis chessmen are iconic artefacts from the early medieval period.
Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. Peter may gives them a place of honor in the gripping third volume in his trilogy of crime novels set on the isle of lewis, the northernmost of the outer hebrides islands off the northwest coast of scotland. Jun 03, 2019 the lewis chessmen hoard was found in 1831 in the outer hebrides and the elaborately carved pieces soon became stars of museum collections in london and edinburgh. Find books like the lewis chessmen objects in focus from the worlds largest community of readers. In this well written and fascinating volume nancy marie brown tells us what is known or surmised about the chessmen, and in so doing she has revealed the complex civilization centered around the north atlantic ocean from which they came. May 19, 2010 the book is a quick read and provides an excellent overview of the purported provenance of the set that was found 800 years after it was buried on the isle of lewis, scotland. The lewis chessmen are also key to the plot of the ya fantasy novel the sleeping army, as well as the uk animated tv series noggin the nog.
The chessmen is the last of the lewis trilogy by peter may. The hoard of ninetythree games pieces was found on the isle of lewis and was exhibited in edinburgh in 1831. This mission reunites him with whistler macaskill a local poacher, fins teenage intimate, and possessor of a longburied secret. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. The lewis chessmen, as they have come to be known, are the oldest chess pieces in the world that bear the features of modern chessmen. Soon hes embroiled in a decadesold mystery and dredging up the conflicts and betrayals of his past.
Exclusive to the british museum, a charming and original illustrated story for children, following the adventures of the lewis chessmen. Madden immediately set about writing a monumental research paper about the collection, titled historical remarks on the introduction of the game of chess into europe and on the ancient chessmen discovered in the isle of lewis, published in archaeologia xxiv 1832, one that remains informative and impressive today. This is the first forensic account of modern research into the chessmen, according to. Kindle store select your cookie preferences we use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use our services so we can make improvements, and display ads, including interest. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. In this engaging story irving finkel follows the many adventures of the chessmen after they came to light on a scottish beach in the nineteenth century. This book focuses primarily on the 67 chess men owned by the british museum, with a few references to the 11 pieces at the national museum of scotland the. The pieces include 78 chessmen, 14 tablesmen, and a buckle to secure a bag. Published on nov 30, 2012 a fascinating little book which sheds new light on the origins of the famous isle of lewis chessmen. Where the lewis chessmen were originally made remains an enduring mystery due to the fact that viking settlements peppered much of scandinavia and the british isles at this point in history.
Jun 01, 2012 the chessmen is the last of the lewis trilogy by peter may. Emblematic is the chess game known as the lewis chessmen that is preserved at the british museum and discovered on the scottish island of lewis. The lewis chessmen are a rare 12thcentury set of chess pieces carved in walrus ivory and whales teeth. All are made of elaborately worked walrus ivory and whale teeth to form the shapes of kings, queens, bishops, knights on their mounts, standing warders, and pawns. Mar 17, 2019 pdf download the lewis chessmen unmasked by david caldwell free epub. The trilogy takes place on a remote island in scotland the isle of lewis where its inhabitants must constantly fight the elements for survival. The chessmen is the third novel in the lewis trilogy and i found it really helped that i had read the previous two novels in the series, even though this book contains some characters that do not appear in the earlier novels. The lewis chessmen the lewis chessmen are simply amazing. Fin macleod, now head of security on a privately owned lewis estate, is charged with investigating a spate of illegal gamehunting taking place on the island. This is book number 3 in the the lewis trilogy series. While investigating illegal activity on the estate, fin encounters the elusive poacher and former childhood friend, and bandmate. The lewis chessmen unmasked by david caldwell goodreads. One of the most famous treasures to have come out of the ground in scotland is a hoard of ivory chessmen and other gaming pieces found in the isle of lewis.
Always interested in the lewis chessmen, i decided to buy this book before i buy a replica set. The lewis chessmen and margret the adroit, their maker by j j cohen st martins press asked me to bring this new book to your attention, and i am happy to do so, since the volume does appear to speak well on behalf of what makes studying the people and objects as well as, by way of the sagas the texts of the middle ages so rewarding. Written in beautiful and brutal prose, may takes us again to the harsh isle of lewis, a remote island in the outer hebrides of scotland steeped in gaelic culture. Jul 23, 2019 its believed that these chessmen discovered buried in the sand on a scottish island in the 19th century were made in norway around 600 years earlier. In 2014 six of the british museums collection will be moved and displayed in. The original asian pieces that were represented the elephant became bishop, the counselor turned into queen, the chariot became a tower, symbol of the strengths of that time. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. This timely, scholarly book includes looking at who ruled the isles at the time the chessmen were made and a history of the ivory trade in the north atlantic. This lively book considers the various fascinating stories which have evolved to explain the ownership, concealment and discovery of the pieces whilst also placing them in the wider context of the ancient game of chess and secular art of the middle ages. The chessmen book princeton public library bibliocommons. Chess fans saw a red queen brought to life in harry pott. Exclusive to the british museum, and part of the objects in focus range of books, a guide to the lewis chessmen this lively book considers the various fascinating stories which have evolved to explain the ownership, concealment and discovery of the pieces whilst also placing them in the wider context of the ancient game of chess and secular art of the middle ages. These enchanting chess pieces consist of elaborately worked walrus ivory and whales teeth in the form of seated kings and queens, mitred bishops, knights on their mounts, standing warders and pawns in the shape of obelisks. Carved from walrus tusks, the lewis chessmen have been described as the greatest chessmen of the european middle ages.
Exclusive to the british museum, and part of the objects in focus range of books, a guide to the lewis chessmen. The remarkable story of the lewis chessmen life in norway. Debate over the lewis chessmens creators and places of origin began shortly after their discovery and has carried on without end. Consisting of elaborately worked walrus ivory and whales teeth in the form of seated kings and queens, bishops, knights, warders and pawns, this curious chess set is strongly influenced by norse culture. Peter mays the chessmen is the final book of the lewis trilogy, staring fin macleod an ex police officer previously acting as detective inspector. The ninetythree game pieces of the lewis chessmen hoard were found on the isle of lewis in the outer hebrides of scotland. The enigma of the hoard 0714105872 by stratford, neil. They continue to fascinate academics from various disciplines.
805 1043 420 382 340 1626 907 455 1559 1610 1103 601 819 113 1369 355 1095 951 584 1266 320 909 1206