Holt Antiques at Walsingham Mill
Mid-18th-Century Italian Antique Carved Treen Memento Mori – Skull, Bones & Book – Original Polychromy – Rare Example
Mid-18th-Century Italian Antique Carved Treen Memento Mori – Skull, Bones & Book – Original Polychromy – Rare Example
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A rare mid-18th-century Italian carved treen Memento Mori, depicting a skull and bones resting upon a closed book.
Measuring approximately 15 cm wide (approx 5 inches), this piece is a profound example of period craftsmanship. Every detail of the skull is meticulously rendered, from the intricate cranial sutures and the weathered texture of the bone to the hollowed, haunting gaze of the eye sockets.
Positioned atop a set of bones and a heavy, leather-bound volume, the composition represents the ultimate end of all earthly pursuits and human knowledge. The classical and Christian philosophical trope "Memento Mori" – Latin for "Remember you must die" – a symbolic reminder of mortality. Such motifs featured prominently in funerary art and architecture from the medieval period onward.
This isn't just an object; it is a piece of philosophical history, hand-carved to serve as a constant, somber reflection on our shared mortality.
A rare find for the serious collector of early vanitas art and anatomical curiosities.
Provenance: Italy. 18th-Century. Acquired from a private Austrian collection.
Material: Polychrome over carved wood.
Condition: Good as per the images. There is age-related surface wear.
Size - WIdth 15 cm (5 inches).
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1. LAPADA (London and Provincial Antique Dealers Association) – LAPADA is the UK’s largest trade association for professional art & antique dealers (representing approximately 500 UK dealer members). All items are backed by our LAPADA guarantee;
2. CINOA –Confédération Internationale des Négociants en Oeuvres d'Art, (or International Confederation of Art and Antique Dealers' Associations) is the world association of art & antique dealer associations (representing 5000 dealers from 32 associations in 22 countries);
3. The Norfolk & Suffolk Antique Dealers Association - Representing reputable, high quality antiques dealers based in Norfolk and Suffolk; and
4. FSB - Federation of Small Business.
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