Historic chess pieces made from walrus ivory and sperm whale teeth can now be viewed from a very different angle after going on display at the National Museum for Scotland.

The famous Lewis chess pieces are among the best-known objects in the museum, which is one of Scotland’s most popular visitor attractions. In the past, they’ve only been viewed from the front but 10 of the medieval gaming pieces have been redisplayed in a new case which allows visitors to view their backs for the first time.

The pieces range from the wide-eyed “Berserker” who gnaws on his shield, to a Queen who rests her chin in her hand with a fed-up look on her face.

The figures became famous for their noticeable facial expressions but it appears the backs of them are as intricately detailed.

The thrones feature complex vine scroll with interlace carvings, while the hair on some figures tumble down their backs in stylised ringlets.

They have now been redisplayed from October 31 with new lighting, a new layout and refreshed interpretation to give them a more prominent position at the entrance to the Kingdom of the Scots gallery and they are visible from the adjacent Hawthornden Court.

Dr Alice Blackwell with the chess piecesDr Alice Blackwell with the chess pieces (Image: Stewart Attwood)

Dr Alice Blackwell, Senior Curator of Medieval Archaeology and History at National Museums Scotland said: “The Lewis chess pieces are much loved thanks in part to their iconic expressions and poses, however these are objects which were designed to be appreciated from all angles. After all, each player sees the backs of their own pieces.

“The carver has really gone to town on the throne backs in particular, with entwined tendrils and knotwork that are really sumptuous compared to the simpler fronts. I’m delighted that visitors to the National Museum of Scotland will now have the chance to get to know these charming characters in the round.” 

The chess pieces form part of a large hoard discovered in Lewis in the early 1800s and offer insights into the growing popularity of chess in medieval Europe, and the international connections of western Scotland during that period.

The hoard contained 93 gaming pieces in total from at least four chess sets as well as other games. Eleven pieces are in National Museum of Scotland’s collection, with the remaining 82 are in the British Museum’s collection, six of which are on loan to Museum nan Eilean in Lewis.

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It’s believed the pieces were made around 1200 in Norway, with Lewis part of the Norse-Gaelic Kingdom of the Isles at the time, encompassing islands and land along the west coast of Scotland as well as the Isle of Man. There was a strong Scandinavian influence in the region and Norway controlled the kingdom.

It remains unknown who buried the pieces or why they did, but they may have been the property of a merchant who sailed from Scandinavia to Scotland, Ireland or the Isle of Man to sell the playing sets.

They could also have been the treasured possession of a local prince, bishop or other leader given Lewis was home to powerful people with close ties to Norway at the time.