Paternosters: The dancing skeleton

I will get off this "skulls" thing I've been on: really, I will. But there will be just a few more posts -- October, with Hallowe'en and the Day of the Dead at the end of it, is just too good an opportunity to pass up.

One of my correspondents pointed me to an intriguing little "dancing" or "climbing" bone skeleton bead that's available from Fire Mountain Gems. It's a bit better carved than some of the bone skulls they sell, and I think it's rather cute.

I actually found a somewhat similar (but smaller) metal version, which I've used on the "plain and simple" version of a rosary in red glass in my collection.

Finally, there's another delightful little "Memento Mori" carving in the form of this "dancing skeleton." It's listed as possibly from Berlin, attributed to Joachim Hennen in the middle of the 17th century, and is now with the other "Voldemort" memento-mori's in the Schnütgen Museum in Köln (Cologne).

It's quite graceful (for a skeleton) even if the whole idea of "skeleton as dress accessory" is a bit morbid!

I should add, by the way, since this is as good a place to mention it as any, that there's also a delightful little ivory carving of a child in the same collection:

It's labeled as a "Lorettokindl," that is (I think), a depiction of the Christ Child from a group representing Our Lady of Loretto. I think it's darling. The similarity in poses is intriguing.