RARE - 16th century jewel A 16th century silver ring called Memento Mori depicting a skull on a cross of bone and probably tibia. The ring is cracked on one side of the head and there is an attempt to repair it with old resin on the other side. This type of ring takes up the medieval idea of the Ars Moriendi, the art of dying. The theme may seem surprising, but it was used as a way of avoiding sin and remembering that the Last Judgement was approaching every day and every hour. In the late Middle Ages and early modern times, Memento Mori jewellery was a reminder to "Remember that you are going to die". These jewels can be found in rings, brooches or in the form of skulls on rosaries. The 17th century went even further by reproducing Vanitas, paintings depicting the skull in everyday life, often close to scenes of wealth, vanity and lust. It is clear that the sight of a skull calms temptations. The notion of purgatory appeared as early as the 12th century, and it slowly began to spread in the 13th century! Purgatory is an antechamber where souls are judged and where those who have not committed a cardinal sin can be cleansed by the flames of a purifying fire. If you're going to die, you might as well have an escape route to heaven. To avoid mortal sin, the Memento Mori is the ideal jewel! Deformed ring. It is impossible to measure the circumference of the finger without damaging the ring. Gross weight: 1.3 g. Provenance : KölnerMünzKabinett sale, 30 June and 1 July 2015, comes from the Eifel region from a family possession.