Lewis chessmen reunited with mates

AFTER years of political point-scoring over their rightful home, more than 30 of the historic Lewis chessmen go on show in Edinburgh today in an exhibition expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors.

• National Museum of Scotland staff ponder the Lewis chessmen's next move. Picture: Phil Wilkinson

"The Lewis Chessmen: Unmasked" runs for four months at the National Museum of Scotland. It incorporates 23 Lewis chess pieces and other artefacts from the British Museum – the first loan of any chessmen to Edinburgh in 14 years – alongside all 11 pieces in Scotland's own collection.

The chessmen are housed in elegant, simple cases in an upstairs room, with film footage showing the figures in close-up.

Gordon Rintoul, director of National Museums Scotland (NMS), said: "These iconic objects have a special place in the public imagination … we are delighted to be opening the exhibition in partnership with the British Museum."

The exhibition also reflects new Scottish research questioning long-held assumptions about when the chessmen were made, who owned them, how they were used, and where they were found on Lewis.

"Until we did our research, the standard story was: Lewis chessmen, wonderful works of art, abandoned in Lewis by mistake, Scandinavian, late 12th century. We have deliberately challenged a lot of that," said NMS expert Dr David Caldwell.

"We may not be right, but at least we've demonstrated it's possible to ask questions."

Close analysis of the figures shows that while some are superbly carved, others are "very poor", he said. "There's evidence of craftsmen who were very good, but others made mistakes."

One of the exhibition cases notes that one of the knights had a "bad hair day", with strands only carved on one side of his head.

The traditional story of the chessmen tells that they were found in sand dunes at Uig on Lewis in 1831. They were made in Scandinavia in the 12th century, it was assumed, and probably abandoned by a passing merchant.

Dr Caldwell and others now suggest they were actually found several miles south, and hope new excavations could confirm that view. The exhibition says it is possible that one of several historical figures on Lewis might have collected and owned them – possibly Olaf, the younger brother of a King of the Isles, or a local bishop.

While it is still widely thought they were made in Trondheim, Norway, close analysis of some carvings now point to a later date. Three of the bishops, for example, wear mitres, their traditional headgear, in styles thought to date from after 1300, a century later than previously thought.

When First Minister Alex Salmond took power in 2007, he called for the return of some 90 Lewis pieces bought by the British Museum in the 19th century. His former cultural minister, Linda Fabiani, said division of the set was "unacceptable".

But the British Museum and the UK government has stood firm, and that appears unlikely to change.

While some Liberal Democrats have supported moves to return cultural artefacts to their countries of origin, the new UK minister of culture is a Conservative, Jeremy Hunt.

"The Lewis Chessmen: Unmasked" exhibition tours to Aberdeen in October, to the Shetland Museum and Archives in February and March, and to the Museum nan Eilean in Stornoway for four months next summer.

The British Museum has loaned 23 chessmen plus three "tablemen" counters and a buckle. Only six of the NMS pieces will tour Scotland with the British Museum pieces, as it is felt tourists expect to see some when visiting Edinburgh.