A 1,000-year-old gaming piece from the Viking Age has revealed rare details about elite fashion and hairstyles. Recently highlighted by the National Museum of Denmark, the tiny figurine offers one of the clearest depictions yet of how Vikings styled their hair and beards.
A small figurine, just three centimetres tall, depicts the head and torso of a Viking man with striking features, including a middle-parted hairstyle, moustache, and braided goatee.
“It’s exceptional that we have such a vivid depiction of a Viking, even a three-dimensional one. This is a miniature bust and as close as we will ever get to a portrait of Viking,” says Peter Pentz, who is a curator at the National Museum.
A Figurine Rediscovered
Photo: Roberto Fortuna, the National Museum of Denmark
The medieval piece, carved in walrus ivory, had been part of the museum’s collections for over 200 years but had largely gone unnoticed. Pentz explains that he first became aware of its significance in connection with the museum’s current exhibition on Viking Age Sorceress.
“When I came across him in one of our storage rooms a few years ago, I was really surprised – he just sat there, looking directly at me, and I had never before seen such a Viking, not in the many years I’ve been at the museum,” he says.
The figurine is now part of ongoing research at the National Museum, which is focused on Viking Age figurines and symbolism. The findings have been published in the journal Medieval Archaeology.
Unprecedented Hairstyle Details
Photo: Roberto Fortuna, the National Museum of Denmark
Viking Age art is typically characterised by animal motifs rather than human portraiture. The figurine stands out not only for its expressive human face but also for the remarkable detail of its hairstyle.
“The hairstyle on the figurine, which is partially damaged, can be described as middle parting with a side wave that leaves the ear visible, while the hair has been cropped at the back,” says Pentz. “The figurine moreover sports a large moustache, a long, braided goatee and sideburns.
“Hitherto, we haven’t had any detailed knowledge about Viking hairstyles, but here, we get all the details – even the little curl above the ear is marked. This is the first time we see a figure of a male Viking with his hair visible from all angles. It’s unique,”
One of the Museum’s First Objects
Photo: Roberto Fortuna, the National Museum of Denmark
Although the figurine’s significance has only recently been recognised, the object itself has a long history within the National Museum. It was one of the first items registered when the museum was founded more than 200 years ago, carrying object number 589 out of what has since grown to two million items. These range from Stone Age axes and runestones to the Golden Horns of Gallehus, as well as modern artefacts such as contraceptive pills and Covid-19 face masks.
The figurine was originally discovered in 1797 in an equestrian burial near the Oslofjord in Viken, a region that likely fell within the realm of Harald Bluetooth in the late 10th century. The burial is thought to have belonged to a Viking warrior.
A Viking Game Piece
The figurine was part of a Viking Age board game known as Hnefatafl, sometimes described as “Viking chess.” Made of one of the most valuable materials of the time—walrus ivory—the piece represented the most important figure in the game, the king.
This game was widely played from the 8th to the 11th century and spread with the Vikings during their raids and settlements, reaching as far as England before eventually being replaced by chess.
A 1,000-year-old gaming piece from the Viking Age has revealed rare details about elite fashion and hairstyles. Recently highlighted by the National Museum of Denmark, the tiny figurine offers one of the clearest depictions yet of how Vikings styled their hair and beards.
A small figurine, just three centimetres tall, depicts the head and torso of a Viking man with striking features, including a middle-parted hairstyle, moustache, and braided goatee.
“It’s exceptional that we have such a vivid depiction of a Viking, even a three-dimensional one. This is a miniature bust and as close as we will ever get to a portrait of Viking,” says Peter Pentz, who is a curator at the National Museum.
A Figurine Rediscovered
The medieval piece, carved in walrus ivory, had been part of the museum’s collections for over 200 years but had largely gone unnoticed. Pentz explains that he first became aware of its significance in connection with the museum’s current exhibition on Viking Age Sorceress.
“When I came across him in one of our storage rooms a few years ago, I was really surprised – he just sat there, looking directly at me, and I had never before seen such a Viking, not in the many years I’ve been at the museum,” he says.
The figurine is now part of ongoing research at the National Museum, which is focused on Viking Age figurines and symbolism. The findings have been published in the journal Medieval Archaeology.
Unprecedented Hairstyle Details
Viking Age art is typically characterised by animal motifs rather than human portraiture. The figurine stands out not only for its expressive human face but also for the remarkable detail of its hairstyle.
“The hairstyle on the figurine, which is partially damaged, can be described as middle parting with a side wave that leaves the ear visible, while the hair has been cropped at the back,” says Pentz. “The figurine moreover sports a large moustache, a long, braided goatee and sideburns.
“Hitherto, we haven’t had any detailed knowledge about Viking hairstyles, but here, we get all the details – even the little curl above the ear is marked. This is the first time we see a figure of a male Viking with his hair visible from all angles. It’s unique,”
One of the Museum’s First Objects
Although the figurine’s significance has only recently been recognised, the object itself has a long history within the National Museum. It was one of the first items registered when the museum was founded more than 200 years ago, carrying object number 589 out of what has since grown to two million items. These range from Stone Age axes and runestones to the Golden Horns of Gallehus, as well as modern artefacts such as contraceptive pills and Covid-19 face masks.
The figurine was originally discovered in 1797 in an equestrian burial near the Oslofjord in Viken, a region that likely fell within the realm of Harald Bluetooth in the late 10th century. The burial is thought to have belonged to a Viking warrior.
A Viking Game Piece
The figurine was part of a Viking Age board game known as Hnefatafl, sometimes described as “Viking chess.” Made of one of the most valuable materials of the time—walrus ivory—the piece represented the most important figure in the game, the king.
This game was widely played from the 8th to the 11th century and spread with the Vikings during their raids and settlements, reaching as far as England before eventually being replaced by chess.
Subscribe to Medievalverse
Related Posts