Back before the utter madness of 9/11, I flew with a large ceramic unicorn packed in my clothing (and a bit of foam). When I checked it in, I asked if they could inspect it then and seal it so no one would inspect it later, as the unicorn was a gift for a friend and I didn't want pottery shards all over, either. They gladly did this for me, and allowed me to repack it (in front of them), and sealed it.

I often wonder now if they would even consider letting this happen...