Overview

• Curator Peter Pentz found the 10th-century figurine in the National Museum of Denmark’s archives and the museum has now presented it publicly.
• The 1.2-inch carving, made from walrus tusk in Norway, was recovered in 1796 from an equestrian burial near the Oslo fjord before spending more than two centuries in storage.
• The figure shows a center-parted haircut, a braided goatee, and an upturned, greased moustache with a sharply cut nape, details seldom seen in Viking-age human depictions.
• Researchers interpret the object as the king piece from the strategy board game hnefatafl, pointing to ownership or commemoration of a high-status individual.
• The museum suggests the likeness could represent King Harald Bluetooth, though that identification remains a hypothesis rather than confirmed fact.