MEMENTO MORI SKULL Terracotta

Magnificent and extremely rare Memento Mori terracotta skull, Tyrol

Rare vanitas skull in terracotta, probably Tyrolean from the late 18th or early 19th century: the piece stands out for its deliberately elongated and distorted shape, far from anatomical accuracy, reminiscent both of the artificially deformed skulls of certain pre-Columbian cultures and European esoteric models.

Its surface, covered with a deeply cracked earthy patina, shows evidence of rough craftsmanship and long exposure to air. The finely modeled teeth retain traces of white glazing. On the underside, there is a trilobed cross-shaped perforation.

On the skullcap, a black ink inscription appears, written in Gothic Fraktur script — a style ubiquitous in German-speaking countries from the 16th to the early 20th century: « "dieser Mensch war mein Feind“ » ("this man was my enemy").

Through its form and message, this skull also evokes the tradition of the painted skulls found in Alpine ossuaries, such as those in Hallstatt, where the identities of the deceased were recorded in ink or paint. The German inscription, combined with Alpine liturgical practices, suggests an origin in Central Europe — likely Tyrol, or more broadly, the Germanic Alpine regions of Austria, Switzerland, or southern Germany.

PERIOD : Late 18th century or early 19th century
DIMENSIONS : Larger than a real skull, 35 cm x 23 cm
SIZE : Larger than a real skull, 13.8 in x 9.1 in