SKULLS OF THE DAMNED 18th century

This exceptional object, dated 1773, is a rare example of what is known as “chained penitent heads”, also referred to as “skulls of the damned” or “heads of damned monks”. It is a votive artifact of religious origin, coming from the Tyrol or southern Germany, regions marked in the 18th century by a strong penitential culture rooted in post-Tridentine Catholicism.

The piece consists of two skulls carved in wood, placed back to back, connected by a thin band of wrought iron inserted at the junction of the calvaria. On the back of one of the skulls, an inscription is visible: “1773”, written directly on the patinated surface. At the top, a wrought iron suspension ring, fixed into the metal piece, supports a twisted chain with irregular and oxidized links, typical of 18th-century iron craftsmanship.

The two heads are sculpted realistically, but without lower jaws, which enhances the effect of depersonalization and bareness. They feature hollow eye sockets, gaping nasal cavities, and a slightly elongated oval shape, emphasizing their spectral aspect. The surface is covered with a light primer (probably glue and chalk-based), now cracked, imitating the dry and porous texture of bone. Traces of brown polychromy remain visible in the cavities, accentuating the shadows and deepening the features.

Such objects were often associated with penitent confraternities, especially the Black Penitents, who practiced rituals of contrition and meditation on death, notably during Holy Week. Hung in oratories, funerary chapels, or carried in processions, these heads served as powerful visual instruments, meant to remind the faithful of life’s brevity, the need for repentance, and the inevitability of the Last Judgment.

This macabre and devotional duo, at once sober, expressive, and theologically charged, is a rare testimony to Alpine Baroque spirituality, in which the representation of death was not a taboo, but a path to salvation. It would belong just as much in a sacred art collection as in a cabinet of curiosity . The absence of jaws, the frontal stare of the empty gaze, and the raw materiality of iron and wood reinforce the impression of silence, tension, and eternal meditation.

PERIOD: 18th century
DIMENSIONS: 17cm X 10cm
SIZE: 6.8" X 4"