Japanese elephant ivory Vanitas with skull - Meiji period, 1868-1912

elephant ivory "Memento Mori" (Loxodonta africana Blumenbach, 1797 o Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758) finely carved in the full round and depicting a skull.
A vanitas is a symbolic work of art showing the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death. The skull was the symbol of death from the 1500s onwards; previously death was represented as a skeleton. Skulls were very popular in the Baroque period and were not only an essential part of any Chamber of Wonders (Wunderkammer), but also acted as contemplative reminders of mortality.
Height x width x depth: 10.8 x 12.3 x 10.5 cm. Weight: 1110 g.
Item condition grading: **** good.
Accompanied by Ce.S.Ar. Centro Studi Archeometrici certificate of authenticity and by CITES certificate.

This lot is available for sale only with shipments within the European Union; the CITES certificate for export outside the European Community can only be requested for lots sold to museums.