Browse Items (5 total)

Phrenology being used as a biological marker which suggested that good and bad behavior could be shown by the shape of their head.

This is an oil painting of a skull, oil lamp, and writing quill. The source states that the objects in the painting give visual symbols rather than verbal symbols.

This is an image of one of the many surgical instruments used in the 17th century. The trepan was a small tube-shaped saw. It consisted of a handle which was used to rotate the sharp points of the saw like a miniature screwdriver. Its main purpose…

This is an early 17th century painting symbolizing life and death, also known as vanitas. The painting contains Spanish coins, a skull, flowers, and a Dutch medal.

This skull watch, along with watches in other shapes, was significant during the 1600s in places like France and Switzerland.