Skull thumbnail 1

Skull

Bead, Possibly a Rosary Bead
1580-1630 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Mother-of-pearl, jet coral and amber were selected by craftsmen for their beauty, durability and rarity. These materials often occurred in a particular geographical region. Coral for example was prevalent in Sicily and amber along the Baltic coast. Many of the religious items were portable, as were the small portraits. They were often made locally and then taken elsewhere. Pilgrims from all over Europe bought the jet images made in Santiago de Compostela.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleSkull (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Carved jet
Brief description
Carved jet skull, possibly a rosary bead, Spain, ca. 1580-1630
Physical description
Carved jet skull possibly a rosary bead. The skull is broadly carved and a wing (or possibly an elongated shell) is shown at each side.
Dimensions
  • Height: 3.1cm
  • Width: 3.3cm
Credit line
Bequeathed by Lt. Col. G. B. Croft-Lyons FSA
Subject depicted
Summary
Mother-of-pearl, jet coral and amber were selected by craftsmen for their beauty, durability and rarity. These materials often occurred in a particular geographical region. Coral for example was prevalent in Sicily and amber along the Baltic coast. Many of the religious items were portable, as were the small portraits. They were often made locally and then taken elsewhere. Pilgrims from all over Europe bought the jet images made in Santiago de Compostela.
Bibliographic reference
Trusted, Marjorie. Spanish Sculpture : Catalogue of the Post-Medieval Spanish Sculpture in Wood, Terracotta, Alabaster, Marble, Stone, Lead and Jet in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996. p. 154. cat. no. 85.
Collection
Accession number
A.66-1926

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdNovember 23, 2004
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest