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Chessmen in a major exhibition
The Lewis chessmen
Manx National Heritage will open a major exhibition on The Forgotten Kingdom? The Kingdom of Man and the Isles (1000 – 1300 AD), next month.
The exhibition will mark the temporary return to the Isle of Man of the Chronicles of the Kings of Man and the Isles which will be displayed alongside six of the magnificent Lewis Chessmen.
It will be the first time the Lewis Chessmen have been displayed in the Isle of Man.
A thousand years ago, a powerful sea kingdom was formed encompassing the Outer Hebrides, Skye, the Inner Hebrides, Argyll and the Irish Sea.
The seat of power was the Isle of Man.
From this small island, the Kings of Man and the Isles ruled both the lands and the vital sea route that ran through the heart of what we now know as the British Isles.
This trade route brought riches to and from the kingdom.
The Chronicles of the Kings of Man and the Isles is the Isle of Man’s first story-book.
The manuscript tells tales of battles fought, indulgent kings and queens; of haunted chieftains, political skulduggery and brutal revenge.
Exquisitely carved rare chess pieces, silver coins with images of kings and precious symbols of wealth and religious power were left behind after the kingdom ended and some of these will be on display in this special exhibition.
Tony Pass, chairman of Manx National Heritage, said: ‘This will be a major exhibition for Manx National Heritage, made possible through close collaboration between Manx National Heritage, the British Museum, the British Library and National Museums Scotland who have worked closely to secure extremely generous loans of precious objects from their collections, some that have not previously been seen in the Isle of Man.
‘We have received an overwhelming amount of support for the exhibition and I am particularly delighted to welcome Lloyds TSB as supporters of this important exhibition at the Manx Museum.’
Peter Reid, island director of Lloyds Bank said: ‘It is a privilege to be partnering with Manx National Heritage for this incredibly exciting exhibition, which offers a fascinating insight into medieval life on the Isle of Man.
‘We recognise the importance of supporting the Isle of Man’s cultural heritage and we are delighted to offer our support to help bring this unique experience to the island.’
The exhibition opens at the Manx Museum on November 10 until March 9 and will be accompanied by a programme of events.
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Weather for Isle of Man
Sunday 19 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 8 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: North west
