Ivory vikings the mystery of the most famous chessmen in the world and the woman who made them written by nancy marie brown and published in 2015 by st martins griffin st martins press macmillan a cache of diminutive ivory chessmen was discovered on the beach of the isle of lewis off the coast of scotland in the early 1800s. In the early 1800s on a hebridean beach in scotland the sea exposed an ancient treasure cache 93 chessmen carved from walrus ivory the lewis chessmen are probably the most famous chess pieces in the world harry played wizards chess with them in harry potter and the sorcerers stone housed at the british museum they are among its most visited and beloved objects. In the early 1800s on a hebridean beach in scotland the sea exposed an ancient treasure cache 93 chessmen carved from walrus ivory norse netsuke each face individual each full of quirks the lewis chessmen are probably the most famous chess pieces in the world harry played wizards chess with them in harry potter and the sorcerers stone housed at the british museum they are among its most visited and beloved objects. In the early 1800s on a hebridean beach in scotland the sea exposed an ancient treasure cache 93 chessmen carved from walrus ivory norse netsuke each face individual each full of quirks the lewis chessmen are probably the most famous chess pieces in the world harry played wizards chess with them in harry potter and the sorcerers stone housed at the british museum they are among its most visited and beloved objects. In the early 1800s on a hebridean beach in scotland the sea exposed an ancient treasure cache 93 chessmen carved from walrus ivory norse netsuke each face individual each full of quirks the lewis chessmen are probably the most famous chess pieces in the world harry played wizards chess with them in harry potter and the sorcerers stone housed at the british museum they are among its most visited and beloved objects