Robin Lumsden Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Latest acquisition ....................... carved wood, c.1800. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mervyn Mitton Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Nicely carved piece Robin. I would think it originally formed part of a commemorative box. Do you have any ideas on origin ? These pieces have always been popular collectibles - the problem was Queen Victoria - who had everyone carrying bits of their loved ones around in lockets etc.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Lumsden Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Nicely carved piece Robin. I would think it originally formed part of a commemorative box. Do you have any ideas on origin ? Hello Mervyn. It came from Germany with several other old carved religious items ............... cherubs, Madonnas, etc. Just appealed to me as I like visiting old 'skull and bones' gravestones in my neck of the woods (strange, but true). My local church was once famous as having the most active 'Witchfinder' in 17th Century Scotland. The churchyard is full of skull and bones tombstones. As they say, this joker always has the last laugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odulf Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 How's about this for a Memento Mori? An albumen print (c. 1885) by G.Incapora, with the dressed up remains of Roman Catholic prelates on exhibition (about 25 x 19 cm) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Lumsden Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 Wunderschoen !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kornel R. Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 How's about this for a Memento Mori? An albumen print (c. 1885) by G.Incapora, with the dressed up remains of Roman Catholic prelates on exhibition (about 25 x 19 cm) As I'm not mistaking , these are still in one of the catacombs of Palermo/ Italy best regards Kornel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Lumsden Posted October 16, 2013 Author Share Posted October 16, 2013 Latest finds .................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kornel R. Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 very , very impressive ! I like both , the mystery and the esthetic way it looks !! regards Kornel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuka f Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 I like them a lot! Here is one I have, never knew what it was for.... I got it with some ground dugs WWII (German items)I bought once. I only saw one very simillar of a guy on a forum, who got it the same way as I did..... It could be a walking stick end , it fits in a hand palm. cheers |<ris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
219PG Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Robin I used to work at Deptford, South London and always stopped to look at these skulls that are on the gate to St Nicholas church. A church has been at this location for 800 years and Christopher Marlowe (contemporary of Shakespeare) is said to be buried in the grave yard. Deptford is situated on the banks of the Thames, near Greenwich, and because of it's long maritime history it is said that these skull & cross bones were the inspiration for the pirate flag. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mervyn Mitton Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Stuka - I think you are right - the top for a walking stick. The holes seem to be at the right angle to have it facing straight out - there wouldw have been a top piece for the palm. Alex - fantastic - I've never seen these although I used to live in Blackheath until 1949. The Piracy angle could well be - after all we used to hang them further along the river front........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuka f Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Thanks for your reply Mervyn. Alex's skulls are super!Love to copy/cast them! |<ris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Lumsden Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 Alex.Great image! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kornel R. Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Nice stuff gentlemen , Alex great photo ! thank you all . If anybody's interesting in this particular subject , there is very interesting pictorial from Paul Koudounaris "Empire of Death" . best regards Kornel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldstream Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Hello Kornel Looks like an interesting book, just bought a copy on UK ebay, there is still one copy available if any one else wants one. Regards Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mervyn Mitton Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 I have always found these bone and scull arrangements quite bizarre. I have seen them in many parts of the World - even in a Church in Dublin. I wonder did they bury the bodies first to get rid of the flesh ? The smell must have been dreadful. Mervyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuka f Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 One of the pictures reminds me of a friend of mine; he is French and makes these; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuka f Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 His web page; http://www.alain-bellino.net/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mervyn Mitton Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Well worth looking at this - a very highly skilled sculptor in gold and silver. I though his Griffon was very good - but the Nef or, sailing ship is exceptional. During the middle ages they had salt bowls in the middle of the ship and it was pushed down the table for people to help themselves. Whilst the workmanship is exquisite, I'm still not sure about his obsession with skulls - I suppose there is a market for pendents and bracelets. I think Robin will be a customer ? Thanks for showing this link. Mervyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRA Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 I have always found these bone and scull arrangements quite bizarre. I have seen them in many parts of the World - even in a Church in Dublin. I wonder did they bury the bodies first to get rid of the flesh ? The smell must have been dreadful. Mervyn As I recall when visiting the Sedlec Ossuary in Kutna Hora (Czech Republic), the bodies were exhumed and then treated to get rid of whatever flesh that may still have been left and give the skeleton a whiter colour. Personally, I wouldn't call it bizarre, but it was definitely a visit to remember. /Jonas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuka f Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Well worth looking at this - a very highly skilled sculptor in gold and silver. I though his Griffon was very good - but the Nef or, sailing ship is exceptional. During the middle ages they had salt bowls in the middle of the ship and it was pushed down the table for people to help themselves. Whilst the workmanship is exquisite, I'm still not sure about his obsession with skulls - I suppose there is a market for pendents and bracelets. I think Robin will be a customer ? Thanks for showing this link. Mervyn My pleasure Mervyn. The guy is very skilled, but no sculpting involved here. He just buys existing old parts, he assembles. And I provide them; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kornel R. Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Jonas is right . Visiting as a child with my parents similar place in Silesia in southern Poland - Czermna near Kudowa Zdroj - was said exactly the same. you may take a look : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skull_Chapel_in_Czermna Stuka , these art pieces of your friend are VERY , VERY impressive ! His sense of taste , workmanship and detail orientation are unbelievable ! I like them a lot . Thanks for showing them ! best regards Kornel ps. Mervyn you know why skulls ... skull is , and always was kind of mystery , a symbol of a journey which more or less scares some of us , but regardless that fact stimulate our imagination - almost touching untouchable . * friendly regards Kornel * don't worry , I'm not too exited about coffins , cemeteries etc. - I just like some of it's esthetic value and find them reflective . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kornel R. Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 (edited) I have always found these bone and scull arrangements quite bizarre. I have seen them in many parts of the World - even in a Church in Dublin. I wonder did they bury the bodies first to get rid of the flesh ? The smell must have been dreadful. Mervyn Mervyn you're absolutely right - it is bizarre , but aren't we as a human race not ? I'm not really able for any polemic not only because of my poor , monkey-broken English (still after 9 years in US , never learned it anyway ) , but simply because it's rhetorical question , plus you're much more life experienced , world traveled and educated then me . Collecting incl. any kind of oddities is as old as our material culture , what's well known fact . Instead of trying to describe it I use another book's description : >>>Unicorns’ horns, mermaids’ skeletons, stuffed and preserved animals and plants, work in precious metals, clocks, scientific instruments, celestial globes . . . all knowledge, the whole cosmos arranged on shelves. Such were the cabinets of curiosities of the seventeenth century, the last period of history when man could aspire to know everything. Who were the collectors? They were archdukes and kings—the Emperor Rudolf II was the prince of all collectors—rich merchants and scholars, and their collections ranged from a single crowded room to whole palatial suites. <<< best friendly regards Kornel Edited October 19, 2013 by Kornel R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuka f Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Hey guy's, have you checked latest up date of Kai Winkler ? cheers |<ris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mervyn Mitton Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Kornel - I think your description of the fascination with bodies is 'spot-on'. From earliest history we have preserved skeletons - probably in hopes of the Spirits return. I think most cultures follow this practise - on the Island of Madagascar they unwrap the ancestors bones every seven years in case of a return. I was interested when you said you have only been 9 years in the US. Where are you from originally ? I hope you picked a warm area to settle, some of the US and Canada seems to be under snow a lot of the time. Stuka - your friend makes these from small scrap metal - absolutely amazing ! When I had the shop we would often take the works out of broken pocket watches to scrap - people were always coming in to buy the works and I was told they were usually broken down and montages made. My mention of Robin - was Robin Lumsden, one of our senior members. He collects anything to do with military sculls and crossed bones. I think he posted earlier on this thread. Mervyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now