You will find numerous variants of superior quality with Isle of Lewis chess set styles. Try to find weight and fine detail as key points of top quality. Our Isle of Lewis chess sets are skillfully produced from crushed stone - they're significantly heavy and truly detailed.

The Isle of Lewis chess pieces are most likely the best-known group of medieval chess pieces, and these are hand cast, hand-painted reproductions of the very best maintained specimens. The original Lewis chessmen were discovered on the Isle of Lewis within the Outer Hebrides (off the coast of Scotland) shortly prior to 1831.

The exact circumstances from the discovery are something of a mystery, most have a peasant stumbling across a burial mound whilst chasing an animal, but you will find several legends. Eighty two are within the British Museum, and also the remaining 11 are within the National Museum of Scotland at Edinburgh. No board was discovered with the pieces, but a contemporary mosaic from Italy indicates that the modern 8 squares by 8 squares board of alternating dark and light colored squares was utilized, just as these days. Every side has its own individual appearance, as every piece is slightly various, representing the hand-carved nature from the originals, but the pieces are still readily identifiable.

1. Material: Crushed Stone
2. King Height (inch): 3 1/2"
3. Base Size (inch): 1 6/8"
4. Board Size (inch): 20.0
5. Square Size (inch): 2.25

Included: Chessmen
Not Included: Board