"19th Century Memento Mori Lacquer Box"
Round painted lacquer box depicting a memento mori, accompanied by Latin inscriptions. On the left, a young male figure is depicted (FUI – I have been), in the center, a portrait of an adult (SUM – I am), and on the right, a skull surmounting two crossed shins (ERO – I will be).
At the bottom is the inscription MEMENTO MORI.
France or Italy, 19th century.
Diameter: 9.4 cm – Height: 2.4 cm.
This type of box, called “memento mori,” recalls the vanity of human existence and invites us to meditate on the passage of time and the inevitability of death.
Le Magazine de PROANTIC
TRÉSORS Magazine
Rivista Artiquariato