In contrast to Romanesque kings who sit rigidly with swords across their laps, such as those of the well-known Lewis chessmen (British Museum, London), this rare example from the Gothic period shows the ruler in a more relaxed pose, seated on a cushioned throne. His long hair falls from under his crown in ringlets, his feet rest on a recumbent lion, and he holds an orb in his left hand and the remains of a scepter in his right. Made to function as a game piece, the carving is at the same time a sophisticated royal image in miniature.