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Lot 39

AN ITALIAN CARVED BOXWOOD BENEDICTINE MONK MEMENTO MORI CANE
Pavia, dated 1732

8 December 2025, 15:00 EST
New York

US$3,000 - US$5,000

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AN ITALIAN CARVED BOXWOOD BENEDICTINE MONK MEMENTO MORI CANE

Pavia, dated 1732
A single piece of carved boxwood depicting a skeletal Benedictine monk dressed in a cowl and holding a cross and a rosary, inscribed 1732 / PAVIA, lacking a ferrule.
height 44 1/2in (113cm); width 3in (7.6cm)

Footnotes

Pavia, near Milan, is famous for the Certosa di Pavia, a Renaissance Benedictine monastic complex.

Visual symbols of death are referred to as momento mori. United by common symbols such as skulls, skeletons, hourglasses, extinguished candles, and flowers, these serve to remind the viewer of their impending mortality and the fleetingness of life; as well as the hope that this reminder will encourage a virtuous life.

Provenance
Il Segno del Tempo, Milan;
Collection of Eddi Van Auken, California, purchased from the above March 2020.

Literature
Van Auken, Eddi. Masterpieces: The Eddi Van Auken Collection of Antiques Walking Sticks and Canes. Silvia Editrice, Milan, 2025, pages 148-149, number 110. (illustrated)

Condition reports are not provided in catalog descriptions. The absence of a condition report does not guarantee that the lot is in good condition or free from damage and wear. We encourage you to request a condition report and/or additional photos prior to bidding on any lot.

Additional information