Pendant with a Monk and Death

Description Surely intended for the use of a monk, this pendant represents a head divided to depict a monk on one half, and a skull on the other, making explicit the user's own mortality and the certainty of death. The carver conveys the reality of impending death in the monk's eyes rolling into his head, his parted lips, and his pallor, which is suggested by the natural color of ivory. Such imagery was popular throughout much of the 16th and 17th centuries, making dating difficult.

Exhibitions

• World of Wonder. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1971-1972.
• Illuminated Manuscripts: Masterpieces in Miniature. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1984-1985.

Provenance Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters