French ivory Vanitas with skull - 19th Century

"Memento Mori" Vanitas represented by an ...

French ivory Vanitas with skull - 19th Century

"Memento Mori" Vanitas represented by an elephant ivory female bust (Loxodonta africana Blumenbach, 1797 or Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758) carved in full round with half of the face in the shape of a skull. 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. Height x width 6.5 x 5.1 cm (carving), height x diameter 4 x 4 cm (base), total height 10.5 cm. Total weight 101.7 gr. Accompanied by Ce.S.Ar. Centro Studi Archeometrici certificate of authenticity (pre-1947).