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

Epoque: 1600-1700

Origine: 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.