Jewish Memento Mori Coffin with Skeleton, Dated 1827 (Austria). A rare and evocative Jewish memento mori casket formed of carved and painted wood, bone, and papier-mâché containing a full miniature skeleton arranged within its coffin. The exterior lid is inscribed with the name Stern Samo, and decorated with both a Star of David and a menorah. The interior is painted in deep blue and fitted to cradle the skeletal form, whose skull is carefully modeled in bone and composite materials. The construction reflects early 19th-century Central European craftsmanship in didactic and devotional objects emphasizing mortality and spiritual reckoning. Formerly part of the Victor Klagsbald Collection (Paris).
Dimensions: 23 cm; Width: 9 cm; Height: 6.5 cm.
Ex. Ader–Nordmann, Paris, 2/9/23, Lot 335.
Estimated Value $600 - 1,000
Judaica
