A small figurine carved more than a thousand years ago is rewriting the history of the Vikings. The three-centimeter-high artifact depicts a bearded male with a well-styled beard and hair, giving, according to experts, the closest representation they have of an actual Viking.

Unique Viking Age gaming piece carved in ivory. Credit: Roberto Fortuna, National Museum of Denmark

The miniature bust, carved from walrus ivory, was first found in 1796 in an equestrian burial mound at Viken, near the Oslofjord in southern Norway. Dated to around the late 10th century and the time of Harald Bluetooth, it had been in the collection of the National Museum of Denmark for a very long time, registered as one of its oldest items under number 589. It was kept hidden away in storage for over two centuries until curator Peter Pentz came across it while preparing for an exhibition of Viking Age seeresses.

“When I encountered him in one of our storage rooms a few years ago, I was quite surprised – he just sat there, staring straight at me, and I had never before seen such a Viking,” Pentz said. He later described the discovery as “exceptional,” and added: “This is a miniature bust and as close as we will ever get to a portrait of a Viking.”

The carving shows a man with middle-parted hair, the wave on one side of the head exposing his ear, and the back cut short. His facial hair is also well-detailed: a thick mustache, a long braided goatee, and defined sideburns. Even a small curl above the ear is visible. To Pentz, these details say much about Viking grooming habits, which were previously unknown. “This is the first time we have a male Viking figure whose hair is visible from all angles. It’s unique,” he explained.

The figurine’s beard and sharp features suggest it may depict more than a generic Viking. Credit: Roberto Fortuna, National Museum of Denmark

The figurine also seems to express personality. The man’s beard and shrewd face make one suspect that he may be more than just a generic figure. Researchers believe it was initially used in the Norse board game Hnefatafl, where it would have been the king, the most important piece. Some researchers have even speculated that the carving could represent an actual monarch, possibly Harald Bluetooth himself, the king who united Denmark and brought Christianity to the region.

The precision is extraordinary when compared to most surviving Viking artwork, which tended towards favoring animal patterns and abstract designs. Portraits of people were rare, and when they did occur—on coins, for instance—they were usually generic in style and did not feature distinct individuality. That makes this little ivory sculpture all the more valuable, as it indicates not just fashion but also the self-image of the Viking elite.

Side view of the Viking Age gaming piece. Credit: Roberto Fortuna, National Museum of Denmark

Small as it is, the figurine gives away the owner’s wealth and status. Walrus ivory was one of the costliest materials of the Viking Age, brought in from Greenland and prized throughout northern Europe. The use of it here suggests that the object was made for someone of high rank, perhaps even produced to represent a royal figure, lending symbolic weight to the game it was used in.

Now exhibited at the National Museum in Copenhagen as part of the exhibition The Wolf’s Warning, the statuette is once again attracting attention from researchers and the public alike. The discovery is more than merely a curiosity for Pentz. “Up until now, we didn’t have any detailed information regarding Viking hairstyles,” he said, “but here we have all the details.”