Late 19th Century Memento Mori Marble Skull

Memento Mori skull carved in marble depicting a human skull on a book, ca 1870. Photo credit: Live Auctioneers/Jasper52

Haunting the Dusty Shelves with Wickedmama 💀 Auction Edition

It’s no surprise to some of you that I love to haunt the bookstores, antique stores, auctions and any dusty old roadside place where I might find something interesting! During the pandemic, I started following auctions on the Liveauctioneers site, mostly just window-shopping and mentally curating all the pieces of art, books, ephemera and miscellaneous historical crap I would love to own. While this auction is set to complete soon, I still thought the piece was neat enough to share. It combines two of my favorite things: a skull and books. This one is a bit out of my budget right now, maybe one of you will pick it up?

Liveauctioneers Lot 0015 Details

Description

Title: Marble skull, Vanitas Memento Mori.

Date/Period: Late 19th century

Dimensions: Cm.23×24,5×20 Cm.

Material: Marble

Description: Ancient Vanitas Memento Mori carved in marble depicting a human skull on a book (possibly a Bible) engraved with the square Sator square, Christian symbol. In excellent condition, intact, as shown in the photo. About 1870.

In case of sale, a certificate of authenticity will be issued.

DATE c. About 1870.

DIMENSIONS Height 23 cm; Length 24.5 cm; Depth 20 cm

Reserve: $3,000.00

Shipping: Domestic: Flat-rate of $300.00 to anywhere within the contiguous U.S.International: Foreign shipping rates are determined by destination.Combined shipping: Please ask about combined shipping for multiple lots before bidding.Location: This item ships from Italy

Your purchase is protected:
Photos, descriptions, and estimates were prepared with the utmost care by a fully certified expert and appraiser. All items in this sale are guaranteed authentic.

In the rare event that the item did not conform to the lot description in the sale, Jasper52 specialists are here to help. Buyers may return the item for a full refund provided you notify Jasper52 within 5 days of receiving the item.