Archaeological loans from three countries – REDBAD at the Fries Museum
The project
On behalf of the Fries Museum, Imming Logistics Fine Art coordinated and transported a special collection of archaeological loans for REDBAD: The Legendary King.
The exhibition brings the early medieval world of Frisia to life through archaeological finds, international loans and new research. The objects range from small gold jewellery, coins, weapons and textiles to ceramics, everyday objects and large archaeological finds.
For the exhibition, loans from around eighteen museums and institutions in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark were brought together at the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden. One of the special international loans is the Odin of Lejre, a rare silver figurine from Denmark.
The challenges
The international nature of the project required careful planning. The loans came from different locations, with each lender having their own requirements for packing, handling, transport and courier supervision.
A particularly challenging part of the project was the transport of the almost five-metre-long Jemgum dugout canoe from Aurich. The archaeological find consists of two large sections and is extremely fragile due to its age and construction. Its size and weight were not the only factors requiring special attention. The conserved wood contains fragile and bonded sections that could not be placed under any pressure during transport.
Our plan of action
For an international loan project like REDBAD, careful preparation and coordination are essential. Imming Logistics Fine Art coordinated the various transport movements in close consultation with the Fries Museum and the lenders involved.
For each loan, we considered the specific requirements of the object, the lender and the transport route. This ensured that the different archaeological objects could be brought together safely and appropriately in Leeuwarden.
By organising planning, transport and art handling as one integrated process, our team maintained a clear overview of the entire logistics operation.
The result
By carefully coordinating the different transports, locations and parties involved, the international loans could be brought together safely in Leeuwarden.
The wide variety of objects made REDBAD a particularly interesting museum transport project: from small and valuable archaeological finds to fragile textiles and large wooden objects. Each object required its own approach to packing, art handling and transport.
REDBAD: The Legendary King is on display at the Fries Museum from 5 September 2026 until 7 February 2027.
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