23
Coral skull, Southern Italy, 18th century
Height x width x depth: 3.5 x 2 x 3 cm. Weight: 24 g.
"Memento Mori" Vanitas represented by a Red Mediterranean coral (Corallum Rubrum) skull carved in the round; in the upper side a ring.
A vanitas is a symbolic work of art showing the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death.
The skull was the symbol of death from the 1500s onwards; previously death was represented as a skeleton. Skulls were very popular in the Baroque period and were not only an essential part of any Wonderland Room (Wunderkammer), but also acted as contemplative reminders of mortality.
A vanitas is a symbolic work of art showing the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death.
The skull was the symbol of death from the 1500s onwards; previously death was represented as a skeleton. Skulls were very popular in the Baroque period and were not only an essential part of any Wonderland Room (Wunderkammer), but also acted as contemplative reminders of mortality.
€ 500,00 / 700,00
Estimate
340,00 €
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Live auction 327
Curiosities from European and Oriental art
Curiosities from European and Oriental art
Silvers, Ivories, Corals, Icons, and Wunderkammer
Palazzo Caetani Lovatelli, tue 25 February 2025
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25/02/2025 Hours 12:00 pm
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