The chess player costs £ 1 million in a 55-year drawer

An antique dealer in Scotland has bought ivory chess for 5 pounds since 1964 and is unaware that he owns one of the most famous chess pieces in the world.

The Lewis king flag stored in a 55-year drawer can now auction up to £ 1 million ($ 1.3 million) after being taken by the latest owner to Sotheby's auction house in London for pricing.

The chess player was named after Lewis Island in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, where it was found in 1831. According to Sotheby's auction company, these pieces were carved from the end of the 12th century to the early 13th century in Trondheim. , Norway.

Lewis chess pieces with ivory worth 1 million pounds (1.3 million USD).(Photo: CNN).

A total of 93 chess pieces were known, mostly carved from ivory. The chess set is so close enough now that there is only one army left and four vehicles. Of the 93 chess pieces discovered in 1831, 82 troops belonged to the British Museum in London, while the remaining 11 were in the collection of the Scottish National Museum in Edinburgh.

The chess piece just discovered was a 9cm tall car , bearing a bearded figure with a sword in its right hand and a shield in the left hand. It will be auctioned at Sotheby's auction house in London on July 2. This is the first time a Lewis chessman has been auctioned.

An anonymous auction family representative said the vehicles were placed on the "Old ivory warrior chess pieces" list.

"It can be assumed that he did not know he had bought an important historical artifact , " the representative said. "It was kept in the house and then when my grandfather died, my mother inherited this chess piece."

"My mother loves chess because of its complexity and confusion. She believes that it is special and thinks it might even carry some magic."

"For years, it was in her mother's drawer and was wrapped in a small bag. Occasionally, she pulled the chess pieces out of the drawer to see its uniqueness , " the man said.

Lewis vehicles will be auctioned at Sotheby's in London on July 2.(Photo: Getty).

In a press release, Sotheby's called Lewis chess pieces an " important symbol of European civilization".

Alexander Kader, an expert at Sotheby's and who evaluated the Lewis vehicle, said it was a "pleasant surprise". According to him, when studying thoroughly the chess pieces, they evaluated each detail, the value of art history, physical condition and origin as well as careful comparison with other Lewis chess pieces.

"There are still many stories about this vehicle, such as its journey over the past 188 years since being separated from other pieces, or the next chapter in its journey , " said Kader. to speak.