Hollow Tenon with a Death Head on the End c. 9th century

This stone sculpture, titled "Hollow Tenon with a Death Head on the End," was crafted by an anonymous artist. This piece invites us to reflect on identity, and the human condition. The hand, a symbol of action and connection, is here rendered as a skull. The absence of identifying markers in both the artist and the subject allows for broad interpretation and personal connection. Is it a memento mori, a reminder of our mortality? Or is it a symbol of power, a fist that has faced death and continues to stand? The tenon, a structural element, further complicates the reading. What was it connected to? What did it support? This sculpture remains timeless, a testament to the enduring human fascination with life, death, and the symbols we create to understand them.