ES FUI sterling skull pendant ∙ Victorian Memento Mori casting ∙ Latin epitaph Es, Fui; Sum, Eris

A modern-day "Memento Mori" skull pendant with the Latin epitaph "Es, Fui; Sum, Eris," crafted by my jewelry team in sterling silver.

The pendant is made from a casting of a ca. 1880s Victorian wax seal, originally in black glass (see 4th photograph). Because the pendant is a casting, it can still be used for its original purpose: to stamp or seal. This piece features the somber phrase: "What you are, I once was; what I am now, you will be." In shorthand Latin it appears as: "Es, Fui; Sum, Eris." The moving phrase reminds us of our mortality and is redoubled by the image of death itself, the skull. This phrase was a known epitaph during Roman times, appearing most notably on a tombstone at Fanum Fortunae:

"Viator, viator! Quod tu es, ego fui; quod nunc sum, et tu eris //
"Traveler, traveler! What you are, I once was; what I am now, you will be."

Measurements: pendant 13mm x 11mm (oval), approx. 2 grams
Era: modern casting from a ca. 1880s glass intaglio seal

Materials: Silver

Only 1 available
$140.00
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