The History of Memento Mori
The season of shadows & mysteries has arrived
Long before skulls and snakes became part of October aesthetics, these symbols held a much deeper meaning. For centuries, they appeared in mourning jewelry and personal adornment as intimate expressions of love, loss, memory, and mortality.
But the human desire to honor the dead reaches much further into our past. Long before written history, we were already finding extraordinary ways to remember those we had lost.
An Ancient Act of Love
Some 34,000 years ago, in what is now Russia, people buried their dead at a site known as Sungir. Among the discoveries were two children laid to rest with thousands of intricately crafted ivory beads and precious ornaments. Researchers estimate that producing these tiny beads would have required approximately 10,000 hours of meticulous labor to create.
Consider what that meant in a world where survival was difficult. Time and energy were precious, yet what was very likely dozens if not hundreds of ancient people devoted so much of both to honoring those who were no longer living.
We cannot know exactly what these prehistoric humans believed about death or the afterlife. But their actions reveal something profoundly human: we have always been creatures who love, grieve, remember, and find deep meaning beyond our own survival.
The History of Mourning & Adornment
Memento mori, Latin for “remember you must die,” is an ancient reminder of life's impermanence and, perhaps more importantly, the preciousness of the time we are given.
Rooted in classical antiquity and later embraced in European art and culture, the philosophy encouraged people to contemplate their mortality, not simply as something to fear, but as a reason to cherish life.
By the 16th and 17th centuries, skulls, skeletons, coffins, and other symbols of death had become familiar motifs in jewelry. These intimate objects transformed the inevitability of death into something tangible, carried close to the body as a daily reminder of life's fleeting nature.
The Coffin Pendant, 16th Century
This miniature coffin pendant, containing a tiny skeleton, captures the striking symbolism of early memento mori jewelry. Both macabre and remarkably intricate, pieces like this invited their wearers to confront mortality through objects of beauty.
The Memento Mori Skull Ring, 17th Century
Skull rings were another powerful expression of this tradition. Worn on the hand, their imagery served as a constant reminder that death comes for everyone, regardless of wealth or status. Yet beneath their darker symbolism lay an invitation to live with greater intention.
Love, Loss & Remembrance
As centuries passed, the symbolism of death became increasingly intertwined with expressions of love and remembrance.
During the Georgian and Victorian eras, mourning jewelry flourished as a deeply personal way to commemorate those who had passed. Rings, brooches, and lockets often incorporated engraved names, dates, inscriptions, and even carefully preserved locks of hair.
These were intimate keepsakes for their wearers, allowing their love and grief to take physical form and remain close to the wearer.
The Victorian Mourning Brooch, ca. 1850
Encircled by pearls and dark stones, this brooch preserves an intricately woven arrangement of human hair. Hairwork jewelry offered an especially intimate connection to the departed, preserving something physical of a loved one long after death.
The Tiffany Mourning Brooch, 1868
This brooch combines a dark central compartment (also filled with hair) and haloed by a delicate border of pearls. This piece highlights the refined craftsmanship and emotional symbolism of Victorian mourning jewelry. Pearls were often associated with tears, while preserved hair became a deeply personal expression of remembrance.
The Lover's Eye Locket, ca. 1840
Perhaps one of the most romantic traditions of sentimental jewelry was the lover's eye miniature. These delicate portraits depicted a single eye, often concealing the identity of a beloved from everyone but the wearer.
Although not exclusively associated with mourning, these intimate portraits embodied the same desire to keep someone close through an object of adornment. Some were even created as memorials, transforming a lover's gaze into a lasting keepsake.
Grief is Love Perservering
Together, these pieces tell a story that stretches across centuries: the transformation of grief, devotion, and memory into objects meant to be treasured and worn.
What began as a reminder of our mortality became something equally profound: a way of expressing the enduring nature of love.
A New Collection Celebrating Love Beyond Death
Inspired by the dark romance of mourning jewelry, Viviana Langhoff’s newest collection, reimagines centuries-old symbols of love, loss, and mortality through a modern lens. A celebration of life’s fleeting beauty and the things we hold dear, each piece is a reminder that even in darkness, there is beauty to be found.
Introducing Memento Mori: Love after Death—Objects of Devotion, coming November 12th.