I don't really see how you could get the snake to fit so well with a real skull. It's tail even goes through some kind of hole at the jaw hinge. So I guess it must all be made of ivory even though it looks super real
What's wild to me is the sutures. That's a detail I didn't expect on a carving of a skull, and it makes me wonder how many real skulls the artist held in his hand to compare. I'm 99% sure it's all ivory, the area above the teeth looks just a little too smooth for it to be a actual skull, but good GOD is that detailed and amazing
It's worth Google Lensing this picture to see how many more there are of this type of memento mori, in various sizes, usually smaller than a real skull.
14 Comments
kamenlady@lemmy.world · 23 pts · 1y
I wanted to use this as an icon, here's a clean cut out, for anyone interested
PugJesus@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
Oh, nice!
VelvetStorm@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 1y
It's interesting that they decided to carve it with missing teeth.
idiomaddict@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 1y
Is the skull real or ivory?
Blaubarschmann@feddit.org · 16 pts · 1y
I don't really see how you could get the snake to fit so well with a real skull. It's tail even goes through some kind of hole at the jaw hinge. So I guess it must all be made of ivory even though it looks super real
dharmacurious@slrpnk.net · 8 pts · 1y
What's wild to me is the sutures. That's a detail I didn't expect on a carving of a skull, and it makes me wonder how many real skulls the artist held in his hand to compare. I'm 99% sure it's all ivory, the area above the teeth looks just a little too smooth for it to be a actual skull, but good GOD is that detailed and amazing
Valmond@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 1y
When you were out partying, I studied the skull.
Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 1y
It's worth Google Lensing this picture to see how many more there are of this type of memento mori, in various sizes, usually smaller than a real skull.
PugJesus@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1y
Ivory, I believe.
daddy32@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
The skull is real ivory.
Leate_Wonceslace@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 1y
This question is also mine.
pelya@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1y
19-th century is, like, the age of most of buildings in old European cities like Vienna.
MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 1y
Numenor@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
this means nothing to me – oh Vienna.