Sunday, January 5, 2014

GEORGIAN MEMENTO MORI INTAGLIO SKULL WAX SEAL


This Georgian intaglio seal fob has a finely engraved carnelian base with the image of a skull beneath the motto, "Fear Wavering," and the letters "FW".

Many individuals in the Medieval through Victorian eras carried memento mori tokens with the skull or skeleton motif as a reminder of their own mortality or the inevitability of death, and with death, life has meaning and purpose.

Sometimes an hourglass or fugit tempus would accompany these skulls/skeleton symbolizing "time flees."

The second photo shows the seal impression.