A finely carved boxwood pendant bead in the form of a human ...

Hammer

£1,150

A finely carved boxwood pendant bead in the form of a human skull, conceived as a memento mori and vanitas object, the skull realistically modelled with deeply recessed eye sockets, pronounced nasal cavity, articulated teeth and a rounded cranium, retaining an original warm honey-brown patination of the boxwood, the reverse is pierced for suspension, with a later metal loop fitted at the crown, probably France or the Low Countries, 17th century, 45mm x 30mm

Provenance: Private Collection, England