I actually carriend two back from Pisa in the 70's. You carried them on the plane, the FA took them and put them in a closet, and you got them on the way out. Ain't gonna happen now.

I would go to whatever local packing and shipping store you can find and get a couple or three of the triangular box, the fedex one is 38 x 6 x 6. End to end with a couple inch overlap you have a 74 inch box, if you use three of them it's 110 inch box. You can bubble wrap it before packing and after, and check it.

If it's bendable I would buy a broom for a few bucks and tape the handle (toss the rest) to keep it from bending.

And insure it.