On a very blustery day only a week ago I was in the sand dunes where the Lewis chessmen were found c 1831 - and it didn't seem fair that today not a single piece remains on the island. This afternoon I nipped into the British Museum just before closing time and spent a few minutes marvelling at their quirky characters - and wondering how they came to be buried in the sand. It did make me think how lucky I am to be able to drop in on a whim to see objects like this, completely free of charge. 
On my way into town, I made a detour to see this tiny exhibition of covetable Scottish paintings on Bond Street. I was hoping there might be one of Cadell's Hebridean landscapes, but no. But the lovely painting below has lingered there unsold for over a year ...
Just caught up on your last two posts. Your house on Lewis looks like an amazing place to stay. Reading the posts together, I am struck by the number of people in each. Would love the quiet of Lewis, but there's also something exciting about the buzz of London. I (genuinely) think that the chessmen should go on tour every now and then, back to visit where they come from.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd be pining for London, Katharine. The chessmen do tour - I noticed yesterday that some were in Japan - and I did read something about plans to lend some to Stornoway. I suppose there's security problems for small museums.
ReplyDeleteI went to see the Lewis Chessman last year at the British Museum, so different.
ReplyDeleteI'd seen them before, Janet, and also in Edinburgh - but somehow they caught my imagination more after that walaka aoan the beach.
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