me·men·to mo·ri | mə-ˈmen-tō-ˈmȯr-ē
noun
A jewel that is a reminder of death
Memento Mori is a Latin term used to describe an object that is designed as a reminder of death. While it can refer to gifts of jewelry given at a funeral, it is commonly used to describe inscriptions, sculptures, carvings, or jewelry that has a physical reminder of death. Memento mori was first introduced in antiquity but grew in popularity in the medieval period as these designs were used in both architecture and funeral art. Jewelry that uses a memento mori motif was popularized in the 16th century, often with skulls, coffins, or other related objects designed to remind the wearer of death. Other symbols in memento mori included hourglasses and wilting flowers.
