Moneybox in the form of a skull, wood, iron, Central Europe (Germany?), 18th century.
6800,00 zł
A unique moneybox made of carved wood in the form of a realistically depicted human skull. On the vault is carved a Latin cross with fleurons at the end of the arms. The arms of the cross are filled with horizontal ribs. An opening for inserting coins has been incorporated into the lower arm. At the height of the upper arm’s termination is a movable wrought iron handle. In the occipital part there is a flap, closed with a peg, set on a single massive hinge. The skull is covered with a dark brown substance of organic origin.
1 in stock
The sculpture faithfully reproduces a human skull in actual, life-size. A cross has been carved on the vault, with a coin hole embedded in its vertical beam. In the occipital part there is a movable flap closed with a wooden peg. The surface of the object has a raw, unpolished finish, which highlights the structure of the material and the way it was worked.
Symbolism and meaning
The motif of the skull as a piggy bank is an unusual combination of collecting money with the idea of transience and death. Undoubtedly, an object with a sacred purpose, that is, to collect offerings during services and ceremonies, and rather of a funeral or mourning nature.
Historical context
The aesthetics and symbolism of the piggy bank fit perfectly with the typical Baroque fascination with Vanitas and Memento Mori motifs.
Collector's value
An object of exceptionally high collector value, particularly rare on the collector's market. Analogous piggy banks at auctions reach prices exceeding 2,500 euros. Baroque moneyboxes in the form of skulls can be found almost exclusively in museum collections and specialized collections (e.g. in museums of funerary art, medicine, ethnography). A specimen preserved in excellent condition is a true rarity among utilitarian macabre objects.
Aesthetic qualities
The object captivates with its contrast of austere form and realistic details. The texture of the wood and the archaic construction of the closure place the object on the borderline between folk art, ritual and philosophical installation. The high quality of workmanship and frugal form give the object an almost theatrical dimension.
Application
This item would be perfect as a decoration in a cabinet of curiosities or a gallery dedicated to macabre art. It can also be used as a photographic, scenographic or museum prop, especially in the context of exhibitions related to the symbolism of death and passing. Although it has retained its original function as a piggy bank, today it serves primarily as an object of ironic character, intended for connoisseurs of the absurd and philosophical reflection on human fate and the transience of material goods.
Similar objects were found in pharmacies, surgeons' offices and doctors' private collections in the 18th and 19th centuries, as macabre "tip moneybags" or a humorous reminder of the fragile boundary between life and death. In German documents from the late 18th century, there are mentions of the so-called "tipples. Totenkopf-Spardose that is, skull-caskets given to doctors by apprentices and journeymen as gifts at the end of their practice. Their form was intended not only to symbolize the knowledge of death, but also to protect the owner from rapacity and remind him of the ethical boundaries of the medical profession.
| Weight | 0,654 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 15 × 13 × 18 cm |
| Type |
Memento mori |
| Form |
Skull-shaped piggy bank |
| Materiał |
Wood |
| Kolorystyka |
Dark brown |
| Technika |
Hand carving |
| Czas powstania |
18th century (1701-1800) |
| Era |
Baroque |
| Kraj pochodzenia |
Central Europe |
| State of preservation |
Very good – patina, loss of coating covering the wood, pin closing the flap non-original |
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