Created in Germany ~1500-1525, this ivory carving is the terminal on a rosary.
Each bead of the rosary represents the bust of a well-fed burgher or maiden on one side, and a skeleton on the other. The terminals, even more graphically, show the head of a deceased man, with half the image eaten away from decay.
The other terminal and six exquisitely-carved beads and their silver, partially-gilded mounts, can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art link.
Link, via La Muse Verte.
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Awesomeness.
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kim, what is "glooliness", and what sort of information do you need?
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It would have been nice to be imformed of the meaning of the glooliness on these beads.
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I'm not religious at all, but I love religious art and artifacts. This piece is astoundingly beatiful. The craftsmanship is impecable. Want it soooo bad!
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Memento mori!
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