Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Family's Chess Piece That Was Bought For $6 Turns Out To Be Worth Over $1 Million

Family's Chess Piece That Was Bought For $6 Turns Out To Be Worth Over $1 Million
(Tristan Fewings/Sotheby's/PA)

A medieval chess piece missing for almost 200 years could be worth £1 million (over $1 million dollars) at auction after a family discovered the object they kept in a drawer is one of the long-lost Lewis Chessmen.

The Lewis Chessmen – a famous board of 93 objects – were discovered in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. But the whereabouts of five pieces from the collection have remained a mystery.



A newly discovered Lewis Chessman at Sotheby's (Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Sotheby's/PA)

The family has now been told the chess piece their grandfather bought for just £5 in 1964 is one of the missing treasures.

The antiques dealer, from Edinburgh, had no idea of the significance of the small piece which he passed down to his family. The piece is made from walrus ivory.

They have looked after it for 50 years without realizing its importance, before bringing it to Sotheby's auction house in London.

The Lewis Chessmen are among the biggest draws at the British Museum and the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.



Sotheby's expert Alexander Kader, who examined the piece for the family, said that his "jaw dropped" when he realized what they had in their possession.

"They brought it in for assessment. That happens everyday. Our doors are open for free valuations," he told the Press Association.

"We get called down to the counter and have no idea what we are going to see. More often than not, it's not worth very much," the auction house's co-worldwide head of European sculpture and works of art, said. "I said, 'Oh my goodness, it's one of the Lewis Chessmen'."

He said the family, who want to remain anonymous, were "quite amazed."

"It's a little bit bashed up. It has lost its left eye. But that kind of weather-beaten, weary warrior added to its charm," he said.

Despite not knowing its significance, the late 12th to early 13th century chess piece had been "treasured" by the family.

The current owner's late mother believed it "almost had magical qualities."


A Lewis Chessman warder (Sotheby's/PA)


"My grandfather was an antiques dealer based in Edinburgh, and in 1964 he purchased an ivory chessman from another Edinburgh dealer," a family spokesman said in a statement.

"It was catalogued in his purchase ledger that he had bought an 'Antique Walrus Tusk Warrior Chessman.' From this description it can be assumed that he was unaware he had purchased an important historic artifact."
"It was stored away in his home and then when my grandfather died my mother inherited the chess piece. My mother was very fond of the Chessman as she admired its intricacy and quirkiness. She believed that it was special and thought perhaps it could even have had some magical significance."
"For many years it resided in a drawer in her home where it had been carefully wrapped in a small bag. From time to time, she would remove the chess piece from the drawer in order to appreciate its uniqueness."

The Lewis Chessmen comprise of seated kings and queens, bishops, knights and standing warders and pawns. Some 82 pieces are now in the British Museum and 11 pieces held by the National Museum of Scotland. As well as the chess pieces, the board includes 14 "tablemen," gaming pieces, and a buckle.

Since the board was uncovered in 1831, one knight and four warders have been missing from the four combined chess sets. The newly discovered piece is a warder, a man with helmet, shield and sword and the equivalent of a rook on a modern chess board, which "has immense character and power."

The discovery of the board remains "shrouded in incredible mystery" even today, with stories of it being dug up by a cow grazing on sandy banks. It is thought it was buried, possibly by a merchant to avoid taxes after being shipwrecked, shortly after the objects were made and so remained underground for 500 years.

"We can safely say that a million pounds will transform the seller's life," Kader, who has kept the discovery under wraps for six months while authenticating the find, said. "There are still four out there somewhere. It might take another 150 years for another one to pop up."

The object will go on display in Edinburgh on Tuesday and in London just before the auction, with Kader saying it could be bought by or be loaned to a museum.

The Lewis Warder piece will go up for auction, with an estimate of £600,000 to £1 million, in the Old Master Sculpture & Works of Art sale at Sotheby's in London on July 2.

More from News

Yassamin Ansari; Screenshot of Kellyanne Conway
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Fox News

Dem Rep. Epically Shuts Down Kellyanne Conway's Claim Sydney Sweeney Ad Is Causing Liberal 'Panic'

Actor Sydney Sweeney recently faced backlash over her American Eagle ad campaign titled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” The campaign plays on the words “jeans” and “genes,” which some critics claim alludes to eugenics—a theory widely discredited as scientifically inaccurate and ethically dangerous.

According to former presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway—who gave us the term "alternative facts"—the campaign has sparked "panic on the left."

Keep ReadingShow less
Lisa Kudrow in 'Death to 2020'
Netflix

Lisa Kudrow's Portrayal Of A MAGA Spokesperson Resurfaces—And It's Eerily Accurate

Actor Lisa Kudrow has gone viral after her performance in the Netflix mockumentary Death to 2020 as a truth-denying spokesperson for President Donald Trump went viral—prompting many to point out that her portrayal is still spot on.

The film, from the minds of Black Mirror creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones, centers on a group of fictional characters reflecting on major U.S. and U.K. events of 2020, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the U.S. presidential election.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Molly Martinez
RSBN

White House Reporter Reacts After Video Glitch Sparks Conspiracy Theory That She's A 'Lizard Person'

White House reporter Molly Martinez responded after a White House livestream glitched and caused her eyes to look completely white for a split-second—prompting conspiracy theorists to go wild and claim she is a "lizard person" who is secretly controlling the government.

Martinez, a Washington-based journalist for local TV chain Gray Television, appeared on camera June 19 in the White House press room, smiling at a friend. A glitch in the original footage made her eyes look entirely white—something conspiracy theorists seized on as “evidence” she’s a lizard person.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Ben Ferguson and Abby Philip
CNN

Right-Wing Podcaster Blasted After Making Absurd Claim About Trump And Crime Rates In 2024

Conservative podcaster Ben Ferguson left hs fellow CNN panelists stunned after he made the bizarre claim that falling crime rates in 2024 were due to President Donald Trump's policies—even though Trump didn't begin his second term until January 2025.

Ferguson spoke after Trump—who presented fake crime statistics—announced his decision to federalize police in Washington, D.C., and deploy the National Guard in an effort to fight crime.

Keep ReadingShow less
A bride and a groom holding hands
man and woman holding hands focus photo

People Who Attended Multiple Weddings For The Same Person Describe The Differences

Weddings are a wonderful celebration of love and commitment.

That being said, all of us have likely been to a wedding where we have wondered "how long do you think it's going to last".

Keep ReadingShow less