The Lewis Chessmen at The National Museum of Scotland

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Within this unparalleled collection, the Lewis Chessmen serve as a vital symbol of European civilisation. Every year, millions of visitors visit the British Museum without charge, admiring the chessmen and frequently loaning them for display in museums across the country and worldwide. These iconic pieces were likely crafted in Norway around AD 1150-1200. At that time, the Western Isles, where the chess pieces were discovered buried, were part of the Kingdom of Norway, not Scotland. It's highly probable they were hidden for safekeeping while being transported to be traded in Ireland. The chessmen demonstrate the strong cultural and political ties between Britain and Scandinavia during the Middle Ages, as well as the growing popularity within Europe of the game of chess, whose origins date back to ancient India. Out of the 93 pieces known today, 11 are housed at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, while 82 reside at the British Museum. The chessmen consist of intricately crafted walrus ivory and whales' teeth fashioned into seated kings and queens, bishops, knights on their mounts, standing sentinels, and pawns shaped like obelisks. This object is part of "Scan The World", a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory. Scan the World aims to create a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access at no cost. Scan the World is an open-source community effort, and if you have interesting items around you that you'd like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help. Scanned using Photogrammetry (Processed using Agisoft PhotoScan)