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Memento Mori Bust

Rare 19th Century Italian Memento Mori Bust / Sculpture Carrara Marble Vanitas
Rare 19th Century Italian Memento Mori Bust / Sculpture Carrara Marble Vanitas

Rare 19th Century Italian Memento Mori Bust / Sculpture Carrara Marble Vanitas

Located in Ijzendijke, NL

Masterfully carved Italian Vanitas / Memento Mori bust in solid marble from late 19th century

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Italian Renaissance Revival Busts

Materials

Carrara Marble

Italian Marble Bust Vanitas / Memento Mori 19th Century Carved Sculpture Italy
Italian Marble Bust Vanitas / Memento Mori 19th Century Carved Sculpture Italy

Italian Marble Bust Vanitas / Memento Mori 19th Century Carved Sculpture Italy

Located in Ijzendijke, NL

message. Memento mori is Latin for “Remember death.” The expression originates from a specific custom

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Italian Renaissance Revival Busts

Materials

Marble, Carrara Marble

19th Century Italian Roman Vanitas Bust Renaissance Revival Memento Mori Marble
19th Century Italian Roman Vanitas Bust Renaissance Revival Memento Mori Marble

19th Century Italian Roman Vanitas Bust Renaissance Revival Memento Mori Marble

Located in Ijzendijke, NL

superb, but this sculpture also carries a beautiful & strong message. Memento mori is Latin for

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Italian Renaissance Revival Busts

Materials

Marble, Belgian Black Marble, Carrara Marble

Large Hooded Memento Mori Marble Bust 22.5"H
Large Hooded Memento Mori Marble Bust 22.5"H

Large Hooded Memento Mori Marble Bust 22.5"H

$6,000

H 22.5 in W 16 in D 10 in

Large Hooded Memento Mori Marble Bust 22.5"H

Located in New York, NY

A finely carved solid marble bust depicting a hooded skeletal figure, this striking memento mori

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Carrara Marble

Recent Sales

Plaster Mortuary Death Mask Bust Sculpture on Socle Base Memento Mori
Plaster Mortuary Death Mask Bust Sculpture on Socle Base Memento Mori

Plaster Mortuary Death Mask Bust Sculpture on Socle Base Memento Mori

Located in Lowestoft, GB

A good example of a 19th century plaster death mask on socle base. The subject has deep, plunging eye sockets and gaunt appearance. Some elderly damage to the back left secti...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century European Late Victorian Busts

Materials

Plaster

19th C Italian Funerary Marble & Bronze Portraits, Husband & Wife Memento Mori
19th C Italian Funerary Marble & Bronze Portraits, Husband & Wife Memento Mori

19th C Italian Funerary Marble & Bronze Portraits, Husband & Wife Memento Mori

Located in Lowestoft, GB

Rare pair of funerary sculptures of a male and female likely husband and wife, carved in marble and housed in substantial cherry wood frames with ebonised slips. Each portrait has a...

Category

Antique 19th Century Italian Busts

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Italian Marble Bust Vanitas / Memento Mori 19th Century Carved Sculpture Italy
Italian Marble Bust Vanitas / Memento Mori 19th Century Carved Sculpture Italy

Italian Marble Bust Vanitas / Memento Mori 19th Century Carved Sculpture Italy

Located in Ijzendijke, NL

sculpture is superb, but this sculpture also carries a beautiful & strong message. Memento mori is Latin

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Italian Renaissance Revival Busts

Materials

Marble, Carrara Marble

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18th Century French Gilt Wood Sculptured Wall-Consoles
18th Century French Gilt Wood Sculptured Wall-Consoles

18th Century French Gilt Wood Sculptured Wall-Consoles

$1,752Sale Price|44% Off

H 11.82 in W 11.03 in D 9.85 in

18th Century French Gilt Wood Sculptured Wall-Consoles

Located in Sofia, BG

18th century wall suspended consoles from France. Beautifully constructed in gilt wood and ornamented with a Rococo influence. The quality of the carving and gilding is very good and...

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Antique Late 18th Century French Rococo Wall-mounted Sculptures

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Dos Gallos Custom Rail Road Spike Side Tables with Glass Tops
Dos Gallos Custom Rail Road Spike Side Tables with Glass Tops

Dos Gallos Custom Rail Road Spike Side Tables with Glass Tops

$4,915 / item

H 22 in W 21.75 in D 15.5 in

Dos Gallos Custom Rail Road Spike Side Tables with Glass Tops

By Dos Gallos Studio

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Custom, made to order side tables made from antique rail road spikes. Glass tops are 1/2 inch thick. Can be made in any size. Made in Los Angeles by Dos Gallos Studio. CUSTOM PRICES ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Industrial Side Tables

Materials

Iron

Japanese Meiji Period Black Lacquered Trunk on Stand
Japanese Meiji Period Black Lacquered Trunk on Stand

Japanese Meiji Period Black Lacquered Trunk on Stand

$2,560Sale Price|20% Off

H 27 in W 23.25 in D 16 in

Japanese Meiji Period Black Lacquered Trunk on Stand

Located in Kenilworth, IL

Japanese black lacquered wood trunk with engraved cast brass corner mounts and bails for the lift off cover. The brasses retain traces of their original gilding. All four sides of th...

Category

Antique 19th Century Meiji Trunks and Luggage

Materials

Brass, Iron

Vistosi Tread LT Table Lamp Murano Blown Glass with Gold Base
Vistosi Tread LT Table Lamp Murano Blown Glass with Gold Base

Vistosi Tread LT Table Lamp Murano Blown Glass with Gold Base

By Vistosi, Chiaramonte & Marin

Located in Mogliano Veneto, Treviso

The “technicity” of the metal element combined with the blown glass diffuser gives tread an “industrial” style. An object reminiscent of vintage electrical equipment for its particul...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Wood

"Universe: Exploring the Astronomical World" Book
"Universe: Exploring the Astronomical World" Book

"Universe: Exploring the Astronomical World" Book

$60 / item

H 11.38 in W 9.88 in D 1.35 in

"Universe: Exploring the Astronomical World" Book

Located in New York, NY

Explore the stars and planets and beyond through art over the ages – an international panel of experts take you on a journey through man's record of the universe – from ancient cave ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Books

Materials

Paper

A rare mid-19th century French Louis Philippe musical automaton framed wall cloc
A rare mid-19th century French Louis Philippe musical automaton framed wall cloc

A rare mid-19th century French Louis Philippe musical automaton framed wall cloc

Located in London, GB

A rare mid-19th century French Louis Philippe musical automaton framed wall clock A picturesque and highly decorative example of a rare mid-19th century French Louis Philippe music...

Category

Antique 1880s European Early Victorian Models and Miniatures

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American Mahogany Classical Swan Sofa, Philadelphia, Circa 1815
American Mahogany Classical Swan Sofa, Philadelphia, Circa 1815

American Mahogany Classical Swan Sofa, Philadelphia, Circa 1815

Located in Charleston, SC

American mahogany classical upholstered sofa with swans head arm rest, carved corner cornucopia, and terminating on ebonized lions paw feet. Philadelphia.

Category

Antique 18th Century and Earlier American American Classical Sofas

Chesterfield Sofa in White Vinyl Upholstery
Chesterfield Sofa in White Vinyl Upholstery

Chesterfield Sofa in White Vinyl Upholstery

$2,240Sale Price|20% Off

H 27 in W 76 in D 36 in

Chesterfield Sofa in White Vinyl Upholstery

Located in New York, NY

Chic and stylish tufted white vinyl Chesterfield loveseat sofa on wood bun feet. Overall excellent condition, showing only light wear to fronts of armrests, as pictured. Clean, origi...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Loveseats

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Pair of Jean Perzel Attributed 1940s Gilt Iron Wall Sconces
Pair of Jean Perzel Attributed 1940s Gilt Iron Wall Sconces

Pair of Jean Perzel Attributed 1940s Gilt Iron Wall Sconces

By Atelier Jean Perzel

Located in Sharon, CT

A pair of very large (27.5 inches high-exclusive of globes) Gilded Cast Iron (21 lbs. each) Wall Sconces. Not signed or otherwise marked.

Category

Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Wall Lights and Sconces

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Arts and Crafts Copper and Brass Candleholder Jugendstil Aesthetic Movement
Arts and Crafts Copper and Brass Candleholder Jugendstil Aesthetic Movement

Arts and Crafts Copper and Brass Candleholder Jugendstil Aesthetic Movement

Located in Sharon, CT

Arts and Crafts copper and brass candleholder Jugendstil Aesthetic Movement. Candleholder retains original patinated surface.

Category

Antique 19th Century British Jugendstil Candle Sconces

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Early Eames LCW with Evans Label
Early Eames LCW with Evans Label

Early Eames LCW with Evans Label

$4,200

H 26.5 in W 22 in D 23 in

Early Eames LCW with Evans Label

By Herman Miller, Charles and Ray Eames

Located in Oklahoma City, OK

An early iconic design. The LCW designed by Charles and Ray Eames manufactured by Evans for Herman Miller. This piece is being sold in found condition with original Evans labeling. F...

Category

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Wood

Fine French 19th-20th Century Louis XVI Style Giltwood Carved Centre Hall Table
Fine French 19th-20th Century Louis XVI Style Giltwood Carved Centre Hall Table

Fine French 19th-20th Century Louis XVI Style Giltwood Carved Centre Hall Table

Located in Los Angeles, CA

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Marble

Dwayne Johnson • Sculptural Petrified Wood Side Table by Odditi
Dwayne Johnson • Sculptural Petrified Wood Side Table by Odditi

Dwayne Johnson • Sculptural Petrified Wood Side Table by Odditi

$1,952Sale Price / item|20% Off

H 16.54 in W 18.51 in D 17.72 in

Dwayne Johnson • Sculptural Petrified Wood Side Table by Odditi

By Odditi

Located in CAROOL, NSW, AU

Born from our lifelong obsession with stacking rocks, this totem-like side table features hand-sculpted, organic shaped petrified wood forms, adorned with a striking raw Petrified wo...

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Steel

French 19th Century Louis XVI Style Gilt Bronze-Mounted Center, Writing Table
French 19th Century Louis XVI Style Gilt Bronze-Mounted Center, Writing Table

French 19th Century Louis XVI Style Gilt Bronze-Mounted Center, Writing Table

Located in Los Angeles, CA

A fine French 19th century Louis XVI style ebonized gilt bronze-mounted tulipwood, kingwood and fruitwood floral marquetry single-drawer center table, desk or writing table. The orna...

Category

Antique Early 1900s French Louis XVI Center Tables

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Art Deco Sofa with French Polished Mahogany Frame, Denmark, circa 1920
Art Deco Sofa with French Polished Mahogany Frame, Denmark, circa 1920

Art Deco Sofa with French Polished Mahogany Frame, Denmark, circa 1920

Located in INTERLAKEN, NY

A fine Art Deco sofa in mahogany with carved, arched crest-rail and fluted pillars capped by ionic capitals on fascia of arms, Northern Europe, circa 1920. We call this endearingly "...

Category

Early 20th Century Danish Art Deco Sofas

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Jute, Muslin, Upholstery, Mahogany

Fine Late 19th Century Gilt Bronze Russian Empire Style Baccarat Chandelier
Fine Late 19th Century Gilt Bronze Russian Empire Style Baccarat Chandelier

Fine Late 19th Century Gilt Bronze Russian Empire Style Baccarat Chandelier

Located in Long Island City, NY

A Fine Late 19th Century Gilt Bronze and Beaded Basket Eighteen Light Baccarat Crystal Chandelier In the Russian Empire Style. Six perimeter lights shaped as torches and twelve int...

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Antique 19th Century French Belle Époque Chandeliers and Pendants

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Finding the Right Busts for You

The presence of vintage and antique bust sculptures can add a necessary decorative layer to any interior. And just because a statue looks classical doesn't mean it has to be conventional.

A touch of whimsy, a dose of drama — a single bust can alter a room. And when placed in just the right spot, these statues can almost feel alive.

“They give humanity in a way that a more abstract sculpture can’t give,” says Los Angeles designer Timothy Corrigan, who loves pieces that beg to be touched. For a welcoming entry hall project in California, Corrigan selected an antique Persian rug and a bust that invites you to touch it. A collection of sculptures in wood, marble and brass complement the star of the show.

For Consort cofounder and creative director Mat Sanders, a bust doesn’t have to be pretty. “I most enjoy busts that are a little busted,” Sanders jokes — but choose something with a soul you can live with, as “sculpture representative of the human form carries with it an energy you will add to the space.”

The antique and vintage bust sculptures for sale on 1stDibs include Art Deco busts, mid-century modern busts and more.

Questions About Memento Mori Bust
  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021
    Memento mori ring is a ring that is an artistic reminder of the inevitability of death. ‘Memento mori’ is a Latin term that means “remember you must die.” These rings typically either feature a skull, crossbones or skeletons to prompt people to remember the shortness of life. Shop a range of memento mori rings on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021
    Memento mori means “remember that you must die” in Latin. A memento mori is an object which serves as either a warning or reminder of death. An example of a memento mori is a skull.