Missing Lewis Chessman found in drawer could be worth more than $1M

FoxNews.com/science ^ | June 3, 2019 | Stephen Sorace | Fox News

[ETL]

An ivory chess piece purchased for less than $10 was recently identified as one of the missing Lewis Chessman, 900-year-old artifacts dating back to the Viking era, which could be worth over $1 million dollars.

The medieval chess piece was originally purchased for $7.50 by an antique dealer in Scotland in 1964.

It was passed down through his family, but they never realized its significance.

“For many years it resided in a drawer in [my mother’s] home where it had been carefully wrapped in a small bag,” the family, who wished to remain anonymous, said in a statement obtained by the Independent.

The family brought the piece to Sotheby’s auction house in London for a free assessment, the BBC reported.

Sotheby’s said Monday it could go for between $670,000 and $1.26 million at auction.

The Lewis Chessmen are intricate, expressive chess pieces in the form of Norse warriors, carved from walrus ivory in the 12th century. ..."

A hoard of 93 pieces was discovered in 1831 on Scotland's Isle of Lewis.

It is now held in both the British Museum in London and the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh — but five of the chess pieces were missing.

[golux]

Alas I don’t have much to “check out:” I have a dark-hearted sister who very conveniently removed any heirloom of any possible value from our family, and an aunt who did the same 15 years before, on the other side.

It would break my heart to know their e-bay handles!

I make my own money... And heirlooms.

[ETL]

Lol! Been in that area many times and have seen it. Went in once. Grew up in the general area.

[dp0622]

Wow.

I never get family doing things like that to family.

I am sorry.

My pop died 38 years ago.

There was an UNWRITTEN agreement among all his brothers and sisters that the house in Brooklyn would be split 6 ways when they sold it. The one they grew up in.

And OF COURSE the spouses of the deceased would get their share.

Uh uh.Sold it 5 years ago for 2 million. Mom got nothing.

Some respect for my father among his siblings and their children, huh?

For money.

[FirstFlaBn]

$1 million dollars

What is it with this new form of semi-literacy? This by a urinalist.

[ThePatriotsFlag]

So will they have to destroy it since it is made of ivory. I’m told a piece I have must be destroyed.

[ETL]

THE best Chess store in the WORLD is in Manhattan, on Thompson St.

Genovese mob boss Vinny "The Chin" Gigante lived and "worked" right around the corner on Sullivan St.

[ConservaTeen]

I wonder what my Star Wars chess pieces will go for? I doubt that much...

[dp0622]

Wow.

My mom and pop both knew Carmine Persico.

My uncle was best man to him.

They knew a lot of other guys too but that’s not shock as they were all Italians and all live in the same neighorhood in Brooklyn.

they would likely NOT have known anyone who grew up in Little Italy.

Funny. I dont know WHEN Little Italy got it’s name.

But it’s not Little Italy anymore :)

Now Staten Island is :)

[ETL]

They didn't call Carmine "The Snake" for nothing. He, like damn all of them, had very little to be admired for. Many decent hard working Italians were victimized by the mob. In fact, they were their first victims when the Italians came to America around the turn of the century. Store keepers, push carts, other various businesses.

[dp0622]

Agreed.

But they weren’t like blacks today, who are even nasty and dangerous to FRIENDS, no less Women.

My mom said they were all very respectful and generous before they went out and killed someone :)

I had some gangster friends growing up.

They were friends LONG before they were gangsters, just as all of the folks in these old neighborhoods.

Nothing to do with admiration.

Friends since 8 or 9 doesn’t change because of the life one chose.

At least it didn’t for me.

Or to be perfectly frank, I wouldn’t have been able to go to family parties either.

Those uncles and older cousins are all deceased now.

[ETL]

I grew up around a lot of mob people too. After we moved from the Lower East Side of Manhattan way back in 1970, we moved to a section of Queens bordering Ozone Park. OP is where Gotti's crew were originally based before they moved to Mulberry St in Little Italy not long after the Paul Castellano hit.

[dp0622]

I didn’t grow up around a LOT.

Some :)

Unless you count every deli owner and conctracter that we knew was connected :)

YOU grew up where the action was!

[DoodleBob]

...and also right around the corner is 152 Bleecker St, where Zappa and the Mothers played at the old Garrick Cinena.

[dp0622]

WOW.

They had the best place around... :)

[DoodleBob]

Sparks! I loved that steakhouse!

I didn't grow up in NYC (and you guys obviously had a MUCH different childhood than I did...). My favorite in NYC was Keens.

[ETL]

...Smoke on the Waaater

[dp0622]

:)

[dp0622]

I can’t lie. Never heard of it.

I grew up on Staten Island and was born in 1968.

I’ve gone to some of the other big places but never heard of this one.

Great steaks? :)

[ETL]

Re: "right around the corner is 152 Bleecker St, where Zappa and the Mothers played at the old Garrick Cinena".

They had the best place around... :)

We all came out to Montreux
On the Lake Geneva shoreline

To make records with a mobile
We didn’t have much time

Frank Zappa and the Mothers
Were at the best place around

But some stupid with a flare gun
Burned the place to the ground

Smoke on the water
A fire in the sky

https://genius.com/Crash-smoke-on-the-water-lyrics

[ETL]

I can’t lie. Never heard of it. I grew up on Staten Island and was born in 1968. I’ve gone to some of the other big places but never heard of this one. Great steaks?

Try the veal. It's the best in the city