German Memento Mori Carved Ivory Paternoster Rosary Bead in the Form of a Skull

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German Memento Mori Carved Ivory Paternoster Rosary Bead in the Form of a Skull

Finch & Co

Period 1600-1700

Origin German, Germany

Medium Ivory

Dimension 3 x 3 x 3.5 cm (1¹/₈ x 1¹/₈ x 1³/₈ inches)

A German Memento Mori Carved Ivory Paternoster Rosary Bead in the Form of a Skull
Old smooth silky patina
17th Century

Size: 3cm high, 3cm wide, 3.5cm deep - 1¼ ins high, 1¼ ins wide, 1½ ins deep

Period: 1600-1700

Origin: German, Germany

Medium: Ivory

Dimension: 3 x 3 x 3.5 cm (1¹/₈ x 1¹/₈ x 1³/₈ inches)

Provenance: Ex Private collection of the Berkeley Family, Spetchley Park Worcestershire

Literature: Made for devotional use the function of these beads was to mark the beginning and end of a prayer cycle. Reminding the believer of his mortality, the paternoster or terminal bead on a rosary represents an act of inner contemplation. It is also evidence of the anonymity of death and perhaps of truths beyond the transient details of life.

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