Vikings need to be kept in check, mate

David Clarke keeps his eye on the two chess pieces from 12th-century Norway. Picture / Dean Purcell

You must never let them leave your sight, you must never go to sleep, you must take them with you to the bathroom and you must ensure their physical wellbeing.

These are some of the rules surrounding the transporting of two historic chess pieces which will be on display at Auckland Museum's Vikings exhibition, opening tomorrow.

The pieces, found on the Scottish Isle of Lewis, are believed to have been made in Norway in the 12th century.

In walrus ivory, they are of a King and a Berserker (a warrior who worked himself into a frenzy before battle).

Valuable artefacts are often accompanied by a "courier" as they travel around the world to exhibitions, said Scottish archaeologist David Clarke, who was entrusted with the final leg of their journey.

"A colleague accompanied the pieces from Edinburgh to Sydney, then I took over for the Sydney-to-Auckland part," said Mr Clarke, whose job title is keeper of archaeology for the National Museums of Scotland.

"Each time the pieces move, somebody moves with them. I carried them in a crash-proof case and they were packed in a dense foam."

The case was made to look like a briefcase.

"You don't want to make a big deal about it and you want to look as inconspicuous as possible," the 60-year-old said. "The biggest danger is at airports when you are in a big crowd and you are sometimes carrying millions of pounds worth of stuff. It can be quite nerve-racking."

Mr Clarke said it was difficult to put a monetary value on the chess pieces. "They would be in the six-figure region each, and that's pounds."

But the biggest danger is not from potential thieves, but from damage.

Mr Clarke said couriers were not allowed to go to sleep, and never checked in to hotels while travelling with their precious goods.

"I once had to stay awake for 30 hours. That wasn't easy ... and going to the bathroom can sometimes be difficult because you are not allowed to let [the goods] out of your sight."

Precious items were often accompanied by more than one courier, in case one of the couriers got sick or suddenly died, he said.

The Vikings exhibition runs until October 8.