A & A spacer courtauld institute of art
login
quick search advanced search browse temp folder

Rosary bead, 2 faces (Side)

Rosary bead, 2 faces (Side)
enlarge image zoom image

Side

Side 1

Side 2

Subject
Secular. Memento mori.

Repository Institution
www.english-heritage.org.uk

To purchase an image
www.englishheritageimages.com


London, The Wernher Collection, Ranger's House (English Heritage)

88259077 (EE118)

Ivory

Height: 82mm
Width: 51mm
Depth: 47mm

Side 1: Bust of woman; dog.
Carved inscription on her veil: 'HEELAS ME FAUTIL MORIR' ('Alas I must die').
Side 2: skull (Death); toads; salamander; worms; vermin.
Carved inscription: 'ECCE FINEM' ('Here is the end').

Williamson 2002 and Museum's opinion 2009: France or Netherlands, c. 1500.


Attribution
Unknown

Reverse
Carved in the round.
Traces of red wax on the underside. Underside flat and smooth with a blue and white label with inscription: 'Collection Wernher no. 118'.

Object Condition
Hole down the centre (plugged).

Provenance
Collection of Sir Julius Wernher (d. 1912), Bath House, London; on loan to English Heritage and displayed at Ranger's House since 2002.

Bibliography
P. Williamson, 'Medieval Ivory Carvings in the Wernher Collection', in Apollo (May 2002), pp. 17-22 (p. 20, fig. 12).


Image

© The Wernher Foundation. Source: English Heritage Photo Library.

All images on this website are made available exclusively for scholarly and educational purposes and may not be used commercially.

spacer
spacer spacer spacer spacer
Please remember to acknowledge any use of the site in publications and lectures as: 'Gothic Ivories Project at The Courtauld Institute of Art, London, www.gothicivories.courtauld.ac.uk', followed by the date you accessed the site.