Gothic & Memento Mori
Hourglass Rose Mark
Hourglass Rose Mark channels memento mori symbolism into a compact emblem with ceremonial clarity and strong visual balance.
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Represents
Historical Context
Hourglasses and flowers were paired with skulls in early seventeenth-century memento mori prints, and vanitas still lifes used both to address time and fragile beauty. This rose-and- hourglass arrangement is contemporary and should not be mistaken for one standard period mark.
Provenance: Modern emblem combining two well-documented motifs from memento mori and vanitas art.
Context note: The rose has many religious, romantic, and political meanings, so its interpretation here is collection-specific.
Research status: reviewed · reviewed 24/07/2026
Sources
- Memento Mori — Engraving by Simon van de Passe after Crispijn de Passe the Elder, circa 1612-1615, British Museum 1987,0725.4. (British Museum)
- Recent Acquisitions, A Selection, 2002-2003 — The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, volume 61, number 2, Fall 2003, page 23. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
- Memento mori book ring — British Museum collection record WB.199, Flemish or French, 1525-1575. (British Museum)
Common Uses
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