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Isle of Lewis Scottish Terracotta Bishop Chess Piece

$519.89
£380
€447.08
CA$713.99
A$799.09
CHF 417.25
MX$9,748.99
NOK 5,296.46
SEK 5,026.02
DKK 3,338.57
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About the Item

A very unusual Scottish terracotta figure of a Bishop chess piece based on a hoard found on the Isle of Lewis in 1831 and believed to date to the latter 19th or early 20th century. The chess piece portrays a seated bishop dressed in robes and mitre and holding a staff in one hand. He sits on a low back wide chair with incised scroll designs to the back and sides. The hollowed out figure is heavily and well made however is not marked. The origin of the hoard, amounting to 78 chess pieces and discovered in the parish of Uig in the Outer Hebrides, remains unknown. The original pieces were carved in Walrus ivory and possibly originated from the cargo of a merchant ship wrecked on the shores of the island, subsequently hidden and not recovered. The form and quality of carving has been attributed to either Britain or Scandinavia and said to date to the middle of the 12th century. The collection is held in the British Museum and the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland in Edinburgh. Provenance: Acquired from the UK Art Market. In good condition with surface age wear and discoloration.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 7.09 in (18 cm)Width: 3.75 in (9.5 cm)Depth: 2.96 in (7.5 cm)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    Latter 19th or Early 20th
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Bishop's Stortford, GB
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: CE18030411stDibs: LU1328236746092

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