Lost Lewis Chessman worth over a million dollars found in a drawer

When an antiquities dealer in Scotland purchased an ivory chess set at the price of £ 5 ($ 6) in 1964, he probably did not know that he was in charge. was seized from one of the world's most famous chess pieces.

Stored in a drawer for 55 years, the Lewis Warder could now yield up to 1 million pounds ($ 1.3 million) in auction after the family of the late owner took him to the house of Sotheby's auction in London for evaluation.

The checkerboard player was registered in the owner's register under the name "Antique Chessman of the warrior Walrus Tusk". Credit: Courtesy of Sotheby & # 39; s

The Lewis Chessmen were found on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, in 1831, but the circumstances of their discovery are shrouded in mystery. With 93 pieces found – the majority being ivory walrus – he lacked a knight and four "guards".

According to Sotheby's theory, they were carved between the late 12th and early 13th century in Trondheim, Norway, said Sotheby's in a press release.

The new discovery is a 3.5-inch guardian, a bearded character with a sword in his right hand and a shield on the left side. In modern chess, this would be equivalent to a tower. It will be auctioned at Sotheby's London on July 2, the first time one of the Lewis Chessmen has been auctioned.

A spokesman for the family, who wishes to remain anonymous, said in a statement that the guardian had been cataloged in the antique shopping register under the title "Antique Walrus Tusk Warrior Chessman".

"According to this description, it can be assumed that he did not know he had bought an important historical artifact," the spokesman said. "He was tidied home, and then when my grandfather passed away, my mother inherited the chess piece."

The Lewis Warder will be auctioned at Sotheby's in London on July 2nd. Credit: Tristan Fewings / Getty Images for Sotheby's & # 39; s

"My mother was very fond of chess because she admired her complexity and originality, she thought it was special and thought it might have even had a magical meaning."

"For many years, he lodged in a drawer of his house where he had been carefully packed in a small bag, from time to time, she was pulling the chess piece out of the drawer to appreciate its uniqueness."

The Lewis Chessmen are "imbued with folklore, legends and the rich tradition of storytelling," Sotheby's said in a press release, adding that they were "an important symbol of European civilization".

Alexander Kader, the Sotheby's expert who rated the room for the family, told CNN that seeing the chessman for the first time was a "delightful surprise".

"I said:" Oh my God, this is one of the Lewis Chessmen, "he said. he remembered. "The family members knew that they had something special, but they were very surprised."

"The new Lewis Warder has made a remarkable journey to get where he is today," Kader said. "Over the past year, we conducted a thorough study on him, undertaking several months of detailed research, a historical analysis of art, research on fitness and provenance, and a careful comparison with the other Lewis Chessmen. "

In a press release, Kader said: "The story of this guardian still remains to be told, about his life in the last 188 years since he was separated from his teammates, and all as interesting about the next chapter in his journey now that he has been rediscovered ".