Mysteries of the skull
"The skulls were there and I could say something with them. To me they are as beautiful as anything I know - and knows no kindness with all its beauty."
- Georgia O'Keeffe
Image credit: Skull rings from Macabre Gadgets archives.
It's hard to imagine any other symbol so widely used and with such a variety of meaning than a human skull. In our mind it's not a common object to come across - nor the most pleasant one. Yet still many cultures had a rich skull representation in different art form, and later, in jewelry. So what makes skulls so magnetic for humans, to be powerful enough to replace a big shiny gem on one's finger? Is skull jewelry truly an ancient tradition, or merely today's fashion?
Image credit, left to right: Oracle Skull pendant by Macabre Gadgets; French 16/17 century pendant with a Monk and Death, Walters Art Museum;
Skulls and skeletons around us - a bit of a history
Prehistoric civilization
It wasn't a love from a first sight - at least according to the evidence we have. Skulls and skeletons were somehow present in human life - but not as widely as we might think. And they didn't often appear as jewelry. There are only a handful of examples in prehistoric art depicting a skull. In neolithic period, around 7000-6000 BCE in ancient Levant there were some practices of honouring the deceased by carefully modelling with plaster person's facial features over their skull, painting even such details like eyes and facial hair. Ancient Egyptians on the other hand did not have skull representation in decorative art. Instead they were focused on the idea of eternal life, and their art emphasized idealised human form like funerary masks - to overcome time and decay.
Ancient Greece and Rome
In Ancient Greece the closer we can get to skull representation is bucranium - form of carved decoration depicting an Ox's skull - and some modest examples among black-figure and red-figure pottery.
The first examples of skulls and skeletons in art unrelated to burials or other rituals we had from Ancient Romans - their famous mosaics depicting rather cheerful skeletons often with cup of wine reminding us that life is short and we should enjoy it. But in jewelry the skull motif is still very rare.
Image credit, left to right: Ancient Roman mosaic depicting skeleton and inscription in greek "Know thyself" 1 century CE; Silver Skeleton pendant by Macabre Gadgets;
Pre-Columbian America
There is a different relationships with skulls and skeletons in Pre-Columbian America, the imagery of the skeleton appears in abundance across the continent starting 1st century BCE. Although the symbolism is quite different - skulls represented regeneration, fertility circles and ancestral power - their appearance is closely tied to the religion and rituals.
Image credit, left to right: Ancient skull ring by Macabre Gadgets; Aztec tzompantli, Templo Mayor, 1325, modern-day Mexico;
Asia
Interestingly across the globe the same fascination will occur - in India and Southeast Asia skulls begun to appear in some jewelry around 300 bce - skull pendants and necklaces, belt ornaments etc - but almost all of such objects were in one way or another connected to the religious practices: skulls were widely depicted in Hindu and Buddhist tradition.
Image credit: Mayla Skull ring by Macabre Gadgets;
Japanese Netsuke Tradition
In Japan skull widely appears in art much later. The long living tradition of netsuke starts to integrate skull imagery in all kinds of shapes and moods - from cute little skulls to disturbingly dark pieces. Yet again the symbolism was different - Skull with Snake for rebirth and cycle of life, wolf resting his paw on a skull to ward off evil, skull to bring luck or just as a character of a ghost story.
Image credit, left to right: Beetles Skull pendant by Macabre Gadgets; Netsuke of Skull, Japan 19 century; Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Ebijūrō I as Tōken Jūbei, in the play "Red and Purple, Rich Dyes of Osaka" Shunkōsai Hokushū 1822; Skull and Rib Cage, Katsushika Hokusai 1830; Skeleton Astride a Skull, Japan 18-19 century;
Image credit, left to right: Netsuke of octopus, Japan 19 century; Octopus Skull ring by Macabre Gadgets; Octopus and Skull pendant by Macabre Gadgets;
Rise of the skeleton: from Medieval through Victorian Era into nowadays fashion
So, when did our mild fascination become an obsession? From medieval manuscripts with depiction of occasional skull to a major jewelry trend in the end of 19 century: suddenly skull appears everywhere along with the bats, snakes and Gothic architectural motifs. It seems like Renaissance and Baroque memento mori jewelry laid a wide paveway to later admiration. With these small personal objects that represented grief and mortality for the first time skulls become a luxury decorative item valued aesthetically beyond its symbolism.
Image credit, left to right: Neo-gothic facade of Barcelona Cathedral, Barcelona 1890; Arch Skull ring by Macabre Gadgets; Silver Crowned Skull ring by Macabre Gadgets;
Next thing we know and skeletons were unstoppable. Victorian era fascination with spiritualistic séances, gothic novels and peculiar curiosities picks up the skulls with their dark allure and includes them in countless objects, including jewelry. Since then skull jewelry gain more and more popularity as an everyday choice - and 20th century brought a new wave of symbolism for skulls. They started to associate with rebellion, personal identity, dark romanticism or simply admired for the pure harmony of their shapes and lines. Skull ring becomes a must have accessory for countless of subcultures from punk to bikers or fashionistas. Skull ring is no longer has a single definition and becomes a universal symbol yet with more personal meaning than ever before.
Why we love them
Skulls have always been a central motif in Macabre Gadgets jewelry. Skull ring is anything but dull, it definitely draws attention and its meaning can change depending on the styling. In a way a skull is more like a mask then anything else.
The quiet drama and dark allure of the skull combined with eternal smile, precise anatomical proportions, and deep symbolism - makes them a perfect motif for a jewelry with meaning.
Image credit, left to right: Netsuke of Mask, Japan 19 century; Ornate Skull pendant by Macabre Gadgets;
Since the beginning of our artistic journey we created a number of pieces of skull jewelry - rings, earrings, pendants - every one of them is unique, each one inspired by different thing - art objects, music, nature or particular place.
Image credit, left to right: Veiled Skull ring by Macabre Gadgets; The tomb of Giovanni Battista Gisleni, basilica Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome 1670;
We never looked at the skull as if it has some negative meaning, rather like an extremely grotesque and dramatic object, and it's deep, sometimes dark symbolism only makes them more thrilling. And at the same time they can be totally silly little things, able to switch their identity in an instant.
Image credit, left to right: The Toilette of Venus (fragment) Francois Boucher 1751, Metropolitan Museum of Art; Rocaille Skull ring by Macabre Gadgets; Interior detail, Hotel de Soubise, Paris; Cameo Skull ring by Macabre Gadgets; Rococo cartouche, author unknown, France, 19 century;
Image credit, left to right: The tomb of Galeotto Bernardini, basilica Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome 1591; Skull ring by Macabre Gadgets;
Skull ring and skull jewelry in general can represent many things, because skull itself has many faces. We shouldn't be fixed on a single meaning of this object, because it has never had a single meaning. But instead appreciate the deepness of skull symbolism. Since the beginning of human history skulls were kept like shells of a loved ones, forever gone - more touching, sentimental artefacts then we, modern people, can ever imagine; like reminders of fleeting nature of life, jolly advisors telling us not to take anything too seriously; bold and unapologetic accessories - striped from any pretence and brutally honest.
Skull rings by Macabre Gadgets, left to right: Crowned Skull ring; Coral Crown Skull ring; Amethyst Crystal Skull ring; Skull & Moth ring; Masked Skull ring; Lacquer Skull ring; Skull & Snake ring; Orchid Skull ring;
Perhaps the skull's greatest power lies in its refusal to be defined. It has been a sacred relic, a memento mori, a symbol of rebellion, a good luck charm, and a work of art - sometimes all at once. This multiplicity of meaning is what makes skull jewelry so endlessly fascinating. When you wear a skull ring, you're not just wearing a symbol with a fixed definition - you're carrying thousands of years of human contemplation on life, death, beauty, and identity. The skull asks nothing of you except to decide what it means in your story.
