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Oseberg Ship
The Oseberg ship is the world's best-preserved Viking vessel, built from oak around 820 AD and discovered in 1904 within a burial mound near the Oseberg farm in Vestfold, Norway. Measuring 22 metres long and 5 metres wide, it's remarkable for its intricately carved bow and stern adorned with remnants of original paint—a style now called Oseberg design. What to see includes the exceptional craftsmanship and decorative elements characteristic of Viking shipbuilding. The vessel was the museum's first ship, relocated to its dedicated hall in 1926.
Gokstad Ship
The Gokstad ship is a Viking vessel from the late 9th century, built primarily from oak timber. At 24 metres long and 5 metres wide, it's the largest of three ships on display at the museum. Excavated in 1880 by Nicolay Nicolaysen from a burial mound at Gokstad farm in Sandar, Sandefjord, Vestfold, the vessel offers remarkable insight into Viking shipbuilding. Dendrochronological analysis reveals the oak was felled around 890 AD, making this an exceptionally well-preserved example of Norse maritime craftsmanship.
Tune Ship
The Tune Ship Hall houses the smallest and most deteriorated of the museum's three Viking vessels, located in the right wing of the building. Built around 900 in oak wood, its preservation is poor—so much so that the platform is now barely distinguishable. It remains a significant example of early Viking-era shipbuilding, despite the ravages of time.
Oseberg Ship Burial Exhibition
The Oseberg Ship Burial collection displays the remarkable grave goods excavated from the Oseberg mound, displayed separately from the ship itself in a museum wing completed in 1957. Housing an exceptional array of everyday items, artwork and ceremonial objects that accompanied two women buried in 834, this is one of the richest and most varied Viking burial assemblages on record. Visit to see what to see includes intricate carved vessels, textiles and religious artefacts that offer genuine insight into Viking aristocratic life and beliefs.
Oseberg Ship
The Oseberg ship is the centrepiece of the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo and the finest of three Viking vessels on display. Built from oak around 820 AD, it remains exceptionally well preserved. What sets it apart is its elaborate decorative scheme, with traces of original paint still visible on the carved wooden surfaces. Visitors can examine the intricate craftsmanship and artistic detail that characterise this remarkable example of Viking shipbuilding and design from the early 9th century.
Gokstad Ship
The Gokstad ship is a Viking vessel from the late 9th century, housed in its own dedicated museum hall completed in 1932. Measuring 23 metres long and 5 metres wide, it's considered a deep-sea craft, designed with greater stability than the earlier Oseberg ship. This well-preserved example offers insight into Viking maritime engineering and seafaring capability during the Viking Age.
Tune Ship
The Tune Ship, the smallest and most weathered of three Viking vessels displayed at the museum, was built from oak around 900 AD for transporting people. Located in the right wing of the building, it's the only one of the three boats to retain the wool joints Vikings used to waterproof the hull. What to see: the remarkably preserved caulking material, offering insight into Norse shipbuilding techniques.
Oseberg Carved Zoomorphic Heads
The Oseberg zoomorphic heads are five wooden carved sculptures discovered in the Oseberg ship burial, regarded as exceptional works of Viking craftsmanship. Four of these intricately carved animal-headed pieces are on display at the museum, whilst the fifth remains in storage due to its fragile condition. What to see here reflects the artistic sophistication of 9th-century Norse culture and the importance placed on elaborate grave goods.
Oseberg Ship
The Oseberg Cart is the only complete Viking wagon ever discovered, excavated from the Oseberg burial mound along with an impressive array of grave goods. This ornately carved wooden cart, complete with four wheels, is on display at the Vikingskipshuset in Oslo. It stands as one of the finest examples of Viking craftsmanship and provides invaluable insight into funerary practices and daily life during the Viking Age.
Oseberg Sleighs
The Oseberg sleighs are among the most striking artefacts from the Oseberg ship burial, discovered in 834 near Oslo. Crafted from intricately carved wood, these ornate vehicles were placed in the grave to accompany two high-ranking women on their journey to the afterlife. They showcase the remarkable skill of Viking craftspeople, with their elaborate decorative designs revealing the sophistication of 9th-century Norse woodworking. What to see: exceptional examples of Viking artisanal mastery and funerary practices.
Buddha's Cube
The Buddha Bucket, a wooden yew vessel from the Oseberg burial site, stands as one of the Viking collection's most remarkable artefacts. Adorned with small shield decorations, it bears two male figures seated in lotus position, eyes closed and wearing peaceful expressions. Its presence amongst domestic items and textiles in the burial assemblage makes it genuinely puzzling—why would Norse craftsmen create such an object? What to see here reveals the surprising reach of Eastern influence into Viking-era Scandinavia, making this an intriguing conversation piece in Oslo's museums.
Oseberg Textile Collection
The Oseberg textile collection represents one of the finest and most extensive Viking textile assemblages ever unearthed. Discovered in the Oseberg burial, it comprises imported silks, silk-embroidered pieces, ornamental tapestries, tablet-woven bands and woollen fabrics. The predominant decorative motifs are diamond and cross patterns. What to see here offers a remarkable window into Viking textile craftsmanship and trade networks during the 9th century.
- 1.Oseberg Ship
- 2.Gokstad Ship
- 3.Tune Ship
- 4.Oseberg Ship Burial Exhibition
- 5.Oseberg Ship
- 6.Gokstad Ship
- 7.Tune Ship
- 8.Oseberg Carved Zoomorphic Heads
- 9.Oseberg Ship
- 10.Oseberg Sleighs
- 11.Buddha's Cube
- 12.Oseberg Textile Collection
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