77. Ivory Skull and Snake Cane-Ca. 1880-The substantial knob is fashioned of a piece of fine grained material to depict a human skull on a plinth with a coiled snake. Imitating nature and with fine and realistic details, the skull as well as the snake with a large head, forked tongue and crosshatched body are intentionally done with rounded shapes to fit the hand and with smooth edges for its comfort. Malacca shaft with a 2 ¼” long ivory ferrule and plain silver collar personalized with the engraved initials “P.D” and struck with London hallmarks as well as the maker’s mark “BEN COX/LONDON”. This cane exudes a scary and macabre touch, retains the imprint and perfume of the Victorian era and is possibly associated with secret societies. It could also belong to the exceedingly rare type of Memento Mori, reminders of the transitory nature of life and the inevitability of death: The skull stressing the impermanence of life and the pointless vanity of worldly matters, the reptile representing the Aesculap viper and a symbol for rebirth and eternal life. In any case it draws instantly the viewer into deep mysteries.-H. 3 ¼” x 2 ¼”, O.L. 33 ½”-The skull is the skeletal structure of the head, has a visual appeal beyond the other bones of the human skeleton and can fascinate even as it repels. Commonly the skull is a symbol of death or some romantic notion of immortality, as the belief that a spiritual part of a person survives death. A skull is generally part of certain genre artistic creations called Memento Mori that may be freely translated as Reminder Of Your Mortality. Varying widely from one another, they all share the same purpose, which is to remind people of their own limited life span.