Sea ivories were valuable export articles during the medieval period. Especially walrus tusks were held in high regard and crafted into status objects by skilled sculptors throughout Europe.

As the centre of an Archbishopric that included Norse Greenland, Trondheim was a hub for this trade, where the goods came in to be shipped out to other destination, both in raw form and as finished products. It is believed that the Lewis chess pieces may have been crafted by sculptors working on the Nidaros Cathedral and the Archbishop’s Palace.

The exhibition shows a stunning array of beautiful objects made from sea ivories, explains the skill that went into their manufacture, the routes they travelled, and the dire cost of commercial hunting to the animals that provided the raw materials. “Sea Ivories” also shows alternative pathways in our relationships with wildlife, including sustainable subsistence hunting and successful conservation, through a combined natural- and cultural history approach.

Among the objects on display are six chess pieces from the famous Lewis hoard, courtesy of the British Museum, alongside a stunning array of objects, both from the University Museum’s own collection, and other museums in Norway and internationally.  

The exhibition is supported by the Research Council of Norway and is associated with the European Research Council Synergy project 4-OCEANS: A Human History of Marine Life c.100 BCE to c.1860 CE.