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L0057685 Miniature ivory skull in a silver case, Europe
L0057685 Miniature ivory skull in a silver case, Europe
Credit: Science Museum, London. Wellcome Images
images@wellcome.ac.uk
Miniature ivory skull in a silver case, Europe, 1840-1920
Inside the silver cage is a roughly carved ivory skull without the lower jaw. The model was probably used as a memento mori – literally a reminder of death and the shortness of life. The skull was the symbol of death from the 1500s onwards. Previously death was represented as a skeleton accompanied by a living victim.
1840-1920 Published: -
Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons by-nc-nd 2.0 UK, see wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/page/Prices.html
L0057685 Miniature ivory skull in a silver case, Europe
L0057685 Miniature ivory skull in a silver case, Europe
Credit: Science Museum, London. Wellcome Images
images@wellcome.ac.uk
Miniature ivory skull in a silver case, Europe, 1840-1920
Inside the silver cage is a roughly carved ivory skull without the lower jaw. The model was probably used as a memento mori – literally a reminder of death and the shortness of life. The skull was the symbol of death from the 1500s onwards. Previously death was represented as a skeleton accompanied by a living victim.
1840-1920 Published: -
Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons by-nc-nd 2.0 UK, see wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/page/Prices.html