Explore the allure of the Victorian era with this exquisite Memento Mori skull pendant necklace, a true artifact from a time of elegance and mystery. Crafted from fine silver, the piece showcases exceptional craftsmanship, featuring an intricate intaglio design that highlights its unique character. The pendant's origins trace back to Europe, guaranteeing a rich history that complements its timeless aesthetic. This authentic antique necklace is a testament to the era's fashion, reflecting a refined style that has transcended time. With its provenance rooted in a period renowned for its appreciation of the artistry in jewelry, this piece is an original work that would make a distinguished addition to any collection.

EXPERTISE OF THE MATERIALS : SOLID SILVER (900 / 920)

WEARABLE : HISTORICAL MASTERPIECE

MEASUREMENTS :

> 4.62 grams

Condition :  Extremely Fine

> Memento mori (Latin for "remember (that you have) to die") is an artistic or symbolic trope acting as a reminder of the inevitability of death. The concept has its roots in the philosophers of classical antiquity and Christianity, and appeared in funerary art and architecture from the medieval period onwards. The most common motif is a skull, often accompanied by bones. Often this alone is enough to evoke the trope, but other motifs include a coffin, hourglass, or wilting flowers to signify the impermanence of life. Often these function within a work whose main subject is something else, such as a portrait, but the vanitas is an artistic genre where the theme of death is the main subject. The Danse Macabre and death personified with a scythe as the Grim Reaper are even more direct evocations of the trope. In classical antiquity : The philosopher Democritus trained himself by going into solitude and frequenting tombs. Plato's Phaedo, where the death of Socrates is recounted, introduces the idea that the proper practice of philosophy is "about nothing else but dying and being dead".The Stoics of classical antiquity were particularly prominent in their use of this discipline, and Seneca's letters are full of injunctions to meditate on death. The Stoic Epictetus told his students that when kissing their child, brother, or friend, they should remind themselves that they are mortal, curbing their pleasure, as do "those who stand behind men in their triumphs and remind them that they are mortal". The Stoic Marcus Aurelius invited the reader (himself) to "consider how ephemeral and mean all mortal things are" in his Meditations. In some accounts of the Roman triumph, a companion or public slave would stand behind or near the triumphant general during the procession and remind him from time to time of his own mortality or prompt him to "look behind". A version of this warning is often rendered into English as "Remember, Caesar, thou art mortal", for example in Fahrenheit 451. Timepieces have been used to illustrate that the time of the living on Earth grows shorter with each passing minute. Public clocks would be decorated with mottos such as ultima forsan ("perhaps the last" [hour]) or vulnerant omnes, ultima necat ("they all wound, and the last kills"). Clocks have carried the motto tempus fugit, "time flees". Old striking clocks often sported automata who would appear and strike the hour; some of the celebrated automaton clocks from Augsburg, Germany, had Death striking the hour. Private people carried smaller reminders of their own mortality. Mary, Queen of Scots owned a large watch carved in the form of a silver skull, embellished with the lines of Horace, "Pale death knocks with the same tempo upon the huts of the poor and the towers of Kings." In the late 16th and through the 17th century, memento mori jewelry was popular. Items included mourning rings, pendants, lockets, and brooches. These pieces depicted tiny motifs of skulls, bones, and coffins, in addition to messages and names of the departed, picked out in precious metals and enamel. During the same period there emerged the artistic genre known as vanitas, Latin for "emptiness" or "vanity". Especially popular in Holland and then spreading to other European nations, vanitas paintings typically represented assemblages of numerous symbolic objects such as human skulls, guttering candles, wilting flowers, soap bubbles, butterflies, and hourglasses. In combination, vanitas assemblies conveyed the impermanence of human endeavours and of the decay that is inevitable with the passage of time. See also the themes associated with the image of the skull. The 2007 screenprint by the street-artist Banksy "Grin Reaper" features the Grim Reaper with acid-house smiley face sitting on a clock demonstrating death awaiting us all.

> Numismatic Note : On the detailed pictures, the buyer can see the condition of this item, good condition, strong !!! Choice about extremely fine detail with a gorgeous patina !!! A stunning and exceptional example of this humongous artifact !!!

> Dear buyers, please keep in mind that we are dealing with ancient and antique items. You should not expect ancient and antique items to be as brand new ones. They always have some degree of wearing. Please, take care to examine the photos and read descriptions. Thank you.

> The photos are part of the description in this Listing !!! Dear Customers, you will receive exactly the same item which you see on the pictures, not similar or other. The photos are absolutely clear and the potential buyer can truly identify the item, which purchased. For even greater convenience and to get a full notion of the item, there is also a VIDEO in the listing - PLEASE SEE the VIDEO in the LISTING. Upon purchase my item, you will receive exactly the same item which you saw on the Listing !!! The pictures in listing are CLEAR with opportunities ZOOM for expansion so that you can perfectly identify all the details of item !

> PROVENANCE : All items are acquired in the period between 1991 and 1998 from legitimate sources such as established galleries, International for ancient arts fairs,old British and European collections. The Authenticity of our items is guaranteed and protected by our 100% buyer satisfaction guarantee !!!

> RETURNS : IF YOU HAVE ANY REASON TO DOUBT A ITEM THAT YOU HAVE PURCHASED, YOU MAY RETURN IT WITHIN 14 DAYS !!!

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