Terracotta Skull - 16th-century Vanitas Or Memento Mori.

An interesting and rare example of a 16th-century terracotta Vanitas, finely executed by a sculptor working in a ceramics workshop—most likely in Florence. 

It is, in fact, possible that this life-size Vanitas originated from the prestigious 16th-century workshop of the della Robbia family, as it exhibits stylistic similarities to those produced by Luca della Robbia the Younger  (1475–1548?) during the first quarter of the 16th century, who was a first-rate artist and a pioneer of the “naturalia” genre: Works intended for domestic furnishings or elite studies, characterized by a pursuit of striking realism and a strong illusionistic impact.

The work is a classic “memento mori,” an allegorical representation of the transience of human life.
The majolica is a philological reconstruction of a skull, both in terms of its dimensions and its features, which are rendered with absolute realism.

The object measures 14.5 cm in height and 17.5 cm in total length. The dimensions, including its wooden base, are 25.5 cm.

A certificate of authenticity is included with the sale.