Inside the V&A’s Spooky Collection of Skulls, Skeletons and Death Jewellery

Skeletons and skulls have always appeared, throughout the history of art, as emblems of something that awaits us all, when we slip off our mortal coil and leave behind the remnants of our time on the planet.  I suppose that’s a long-winded way of saying that we have celebrated the advent of death by making art out of our fears. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has amassed a rather spooky collection of momento mori over the course of its 174 year history.  Why not have some fun while accepting the inevitability of death?  It’s not so much a case of getting out the play-doh, however.  Some of these pieces are eye-poppingly intricate (not to mention exquisite to look at).

Ruth Hibbard, Curator of Art, Architecture, Photography and  Design at the museum guides us through some of the highlights of the collection.  She is enamoured with a box of lithographic prints produced in Victorian times – and they are fascinating.  However, for me the highlight is the stunning sixteenth century skull and crossbones ring which is made of gold enamel and encrusted with rubies (you can see it on the video front below).  It pre-dates the use of the skull and crossbones by pirates so wasn’t owned by Bluebeard or Long John Silver – rather by someone from the Elizabethan upper classes with proto-goth tendencies.   There’s also a ring with a whole skeleton wrapped around it, and I can’t quite forget the pendant in the shape of a tiny coffin.  Macabre but fascinating. Watch the fascinating video below.