A 1.2-inch (3cm) ivory figurine from the 10th century displays an immaculate hairstyle with a centre parting, a fancy imperial moustache and a long braided goat beard. The figurine was carved from walrus tusk and was found in a grave by the Oslo fjord, Norway, in 1796. The piece represents the king in the board game Hnefatafl and may have been modelled on a real high-status individual or king. The figure's unusually detailed expression, huge eyes and furrowed brow contrast with typically simple Viking human renderings and suggest deliberate personal grooming and attention to appearance.
Researchers at the National Museum of Denmark have uncovered an ancient Viking figurine from the 10th-century with an immaculate hairstyle. The 'very well-groomed' figure, just 1.2 inches (3cm) tall, has a middle parting, fancy imperial moustache and a long braided goat beard. Peter Pentz, curator at the National Museum of Denmark, described the figure as 'the first thing that comes close to a portrait from the Viking period'.
According to Mr Pentz, the most surprising thing about the figurine is its expression, which is unusually detailed for Viking art representing humans. Most Viking renderings of human figures are quite simple and not very human-like, but this one has been made with great attention to detail. And its huge eyes and greatly furrowed brow even give it a sligh
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