Whale bone plaque loan
from Scar, Sunday

A remarkable whale bone plaque, which was found in a burial site in Orkney, joins the artefacts displayed at JORVIK Viking Centre until 28th May as part of JORVIK Viking Festival 2019.

This kind of plaque would have been used along with a heated glass ball or stone pebble to smooth or pleat fine linen-wear, but the Orkney discovery, whilst old, had been hardly used, which suggests it may have been used just for precious clothes for ceremonial occasions.

On loan from Orkney Arts, Museums and Heritage.