Wessex Museums

Ivy Street chess piece

The impressive king found in a drain.

From: The Salisbury Museum

The Walrus Ivory Chess Piece found in Ivy Street during the 1850s drainage renovations to Salisbury, provides insights into the the leisurely pursuits, and types of chess played by the elite during the 13th century. The carved king on horseback measuring 85mm by 38mm fits neatly into the hand, and discussions are still being held as to how the king, an important tactical player in the game of chess, was lost. 

The origins of the drainage collection

During the 1850s, major work was carried out across the city of Salisbury to install new sewers and piped water. Many objects were discovered during the drainage installation, which became known as The Drainage Collection and discovers which made the foundation of The Salisbury Museum in the 1860s.  Amongst those objects discovered, the superintendent of drainage works also found this extraordinary Walrus Ivory Chess piece during work in Ivy Street – the object is seven hundred years old.

The seven-hundred year old chess piece

The carved, tactile chess piece depicts a king riding horseback flanked by supporters forming a wide base to the piece, with an open crown of four trefoils over his shoulder length hair. The kings attire helped to date the object (with the help of the Royal Armouries) to the 13th century. It is the most impressive type of medieval chess piece found to date within The Salisbury Museum’s collection, and general analysis of art-historical evidence suggests that this style of chess piece was widely favoured, often made of antler, walrus, or ivory. The wide carved base of the Ivy Street Chess Piece also has a practical function, providing stability as it is moved around the chess board.  This style of chessmen, with a central equestrian figure flanked by crowds, is predominantly German or Scandinavian in origin, which makes the matter of how it ended up in ivy street more intriguing. Other notable chess pieces of a similar style include the Lewis hoard from Scotland  – containing 93 gaming pieces and at least four chess sets from the late 12th or early 13th century, likely from Norway.[i] Chess boards were also found by archaeologists during excavation in Scotland, and some even with grids carved into stone.

The Ivy Street Chess Piece, 13th Century With kind permission of Salisbury Museum ©
The Ivy Street Chess Piece, 13th Century With kind permission of Salisbury Museum ©
British Museum - Room 40 Lewis Chess Pieces, 12th or 13th century (2015) From Wikimedia Commons
British Museum - Room 40 Lewis Chess Pieces, 12th or 13th century (2015) From Wikimedia Commons

Chess in context

The game of chess arrived in England in the 11th century, and the initial game showed strong Persian and Indian stylistic influences, until many local variations during the medieval period  culminated in the game of chess we know today. [ii] Throughout the medieval period, chess became greatly associated with the nobility and intellectual pursuits, as it was considered a symbol of refinement. Chess sets were often intricately crafted out of precious materials, reflecting the game’s status and that of the player.[iii] The city of Salisbury was the hub of culture and lucrative commerce from the 13th to the first half of the 16th century.[iv] There was a greater variety of people coming to the city in greater numbers, and the city was redeveloped with new found monetary prosperity. It therefore stands to reason that this chess piece could have come from a set that belonged to a merchant, a noble family, or even a distinguished member of the clergy.

Woodcut illustration from Caxton's translation of Iacobus de Cessolis, c. 1480. From Wikimedia Commons
Woodcut illustration from Caxton's translation of Iacobus de Cessolis, c. 1480. From Wikimedia Commons

Curators’ Insights

The objects of the Drainage Collection have been a talking point for The Salisbury Museum since the museum was founded in the 1860s. Even today we return to these objects, like the Ivy Street Chess piece, because of the local stories locked within them, and their intriguing aesthetic charms – both of which trigger further discussions and debate. 

Back to Collections Showcase
See the collection at The Salisbury Museum 
[i] National Museums Scotland - Lewis chess pieces

[ii] English Heritage - Featured Object: Medieval Chess Pieces

[iii] The Heritage and Evolution of Chess: A journey through time

[iv] British History Online - Salisbury: Economic history to 1612 

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