Mammoth ivory skull, Germany, 18th-19th century

Height x width x depth: 3.1 x 2.1 x 3 cm. Weight: 20.9 g.

"Memento Mori" Vanitas represented by a mammoth ivory (Mammuthus primigenius Blumenbach,1799) skull arved in the round. The proportions are meticulously detailed, with grooves highlighting the cranial sutures, the carefully carved orbital cavities and the delicate carving of the dental arches.

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.

This lot is accompanied by an expertise issued by Ce.S.Ar Centro studi archeometici.