Ivory Vikings: The Mystery of the Most Famous Chessmen in the World and the Woman Who Made Them

“A fascinating tale of discovery and mystery.” —The Minneapolis Star Tribune

In the early 1800's, 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 Wizard's Chess with them in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Housed at the British Museum, they are among its most visited and beloved objects.

Questions abounded: Who carved them? Where? Na...