History and surface condition of the lewis chessmen in the collection of the National Museums Scotland (Hebrides, late 12th-early 13Thcenturies)

Abstract

This paper summarises on-going work to examine the surface condition of the 11 chess pieces in the collection of the National Museums Scotland. The chess pieces are part of the hoard found on the isle of Lewis on the west coast of Scotland and are remarkable examples of medieval ivory carving. The aim of the work is to characterise surface features that can be used to draw new information about the materials from which the pieces were made, their history from the period of their manufacture until they were found in the first part of the 19Thcentury, and whether they were originally coloured. The chess pieces were examined using low-powered optical microscopy and non-destructive X-ray Fluorescence spectroscopy. Modern samples of ivory were exposed to fungi under controlled conditions and the surface damage investigated using optical microscopy and controlled pressure scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis.