Horrific, Macabre, Artistic, and Fascinating Skulls Etc.

Diamond Studded Skull

A fifty-million dollar diamond-studded human skull. As scary as it is beautiful, this is spellbinding. And a little freaky. All I can say is that the skull has nice teeth. All of them, anyway.

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Damien Hirst's unbelievably diamond-jeweled skull. It is an acquired 18th-Century human skull, covered with three times more diamonds that the Queen's crown! A death-mask fit for royalty!

Read the story about the Diamond Skull here.

Leather Skull Mask

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A handmade leather skull mask, Renaissance Fair , Irwindale, CA. This would make for an awesome Mardi Gras costume. They love those skull costumes at Mardi Gras down in Cajun country. There are some amazing cemeteries and ritual surrounding death and burial in New Orleans. There used to be a (pre-Hurricane Katrina, at least) saying about New Orleans to the effect of "I'd rather be dead and buried in New Orleans than alive and living just about anywhere else."

Inca Skulls

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The Inca practiced ritual skull malformation. This was accomplished by the binding of the head with wraps to encourage growth in an unnatural way by preventing expansion in another. This was performed on babies of nobility to create other-worldly shapes, reinforcing and securing their special almost-deity status as adults. Typically, this daily binding and re-binding only needed to be done for several months while the child was still young and the skull still soft, growing and pliable. The wrappings were snug, but not tight. After that, the damage is done and the wraps were no longer needed. The skull had acquired its shape and would now continue to grow that way, apparently with no ill-effects on the brain which clearly had to have accommodated the new shape. We can still see this today in children whose parents allowed the young child to sleep exclusively upon the back as per the former recommendations by health-care professionals. -As young adults today, the back of their skulls are noticeably 'flatter' and vertically-aligned. The current 'correct' recommendation for babies to sleep upon their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS.This causes the familiar-to-parents 'pattern bald spot' on the back of newborn baby's heads. Laying upon their back either delays the hair growth, chafes it away or slows the growth some, leaving a gentle 'piebald spot.' This of course, quickly goes away after once the baby starts to sleep on the stomach or either side as they are now able to lift its head and reposition itself. The age at the greatest risk of SIDS in the first four months mainly.

Alps Skulls Ossuary

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Because of the geographical position of Hallstatt (narrowly built between a mountain and a lake) there is little place for cemeteries. Thus, every ten years the bones of the deceased and buried used to be exhumed, labeled and placed into an ossuary to make room for new burials.

This collection of elaborately decorated skulls shown here, with the owners' names, professions, and death dates inscribed on them is on display at the local chapel.

Resin Skull

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The accompanying text to this image reads “This man sustained a severe head injury and a portion of his skull was removed to allow his swollen brain to expand. A CT Scan of his head allowed the doctors to create a resin model of his skull and then make a cranial plate based on a mirror image of the undamaged side of his skull. This view shows a portion of the skull removed. 2004, Iraq.”

Looks a bit like that Crystal Skull that Indiana Jones was after, yes? Just don't stare into its eyes...

Fort Skulls

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Replica skulls in the military museum, Belgrade (former Yugoslavia.) After a battle with the Ottoman Empire, skulls of dead Serb soldiers were put into the walls of a fort. This looks sort of like something from the Incas. Clearly not meant for true fortification so much as for the shock effect of seeing the vanquished people’s skulls set into grotesque use. A profane use of the skulls of the vanquished.

Chichen Itza Skull Wall

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Wall of Skulls (Tzompantli), Chichen Itza, Maya Ruins, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. My wife and I have been to Chichen Itza but didn’t get to view this. It was probably very close to where we visited, within walking distance, most likely. We toured ‘El Castillo’ ("the Castle", a pyramid,) ‘Temple of a Thousand Warriors’ and the 'Great Ballcourt' and the surrounding grounds.

This sight of rock-carved skulls must have horrified the first Spanish explorers when they first laid eyes upon such things. Even though this is carved rock, the subject material and the sheer number of skulls depicted certainly implied a deep interest and reverence for skulls. They must have thought maybe they will take OUR skulls now, for real!

Hippo Skull

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Masai Mara National Park, Kenya. I have to say that I have never seen a hippo skull before, anywhere (that includes images, such as this.) I have seen many elephant skulls in images, TV documentaries, etc. But think about it, -hippo skulls? This is my first. I figured that they must die in the river and crocodiles take care of the remains.

I am sure that, like elephant skulls, they (and the teeth) are protected against illegal trade for their ivory, bones, used in scrimshaw, etc. I am wondering though if hippo teeth would make for good scrimshaw, like walrus tusks. I recall seeing and handling what was thought to be REAL walrus tusk that had extensive scrimshaw on it. My friend had purchased this at an estate sale, and the seller’s family had no interest nor knowledge of its authenticity or provenance. About as long as an adult arm and the same dimensions, it had no trademark indicator or serial marks on it. It was carved, if I recall, by a “T.BOWES, First Mate” and depicted a whaling vessel, scenes of maritime affairs and a detailed inscription of how he came by this walrus tusk. Further research of the name, ship and year cited revealed that there is a company that makes reproductions of this and other singularly famous works, in resin cast and with a trademark to the effect of its reproduction.

The one my friend has was a ‘faux’ walrus scrimshaw we learned. The manufacturer’s details had been ‘sanded off’ by the previous owner at some point. It was still magnificent and I would have bought it too, had I seen it for sale. I think the company is called Riley Mountain Products of New Hampshire, formerly called "Artek." At least, they do have faux walrus and whale teeth scrims.

A somewhat dependable quick test for ‘reproduction’ or 'faux' scrimshaw is to take a red-hot needle with pliers and try to force it into a discreet section of the tusk. If it penetrates, it is probably (very likely) plastic or resin. A reproduction, fake. If it does NOT penetrate, it is/might be, real tusk or tooth material. Usually, only genuine tooth or bone can withstand the penetration of a red-hot needle. Made-made materials made after circa 1979 (plastics, resins, etc.) have been formulated to be harder, denser and do not necessarily hold-up to the 'hot pin test' anymore. So, an expert appraiser should be used if in serious doubt of any scrim's authenticity. A genuine scrimshaw walrus tooth might go on auction for $600-900.00 or more. I think my friend paid $50.00 for his 'scrimshaw' artifact so had it been real, it would have been a major windfall profit. At any rate, I would have still paid $50.00 for even knowing that is was a reproduction piece. It is that amazing!

Genuine scrims were made by first soaking the tusk or tooth in brine to soften it. Then, it was scraped with a knife and hand-sanded with sharkskin to obtain a clean surface. New and prepared tusk or tooth is fairly soft but hardens with age. An image from a poster or magazine would be drawn on the scrim in pencil and using a sharp nail or knife, the design would be etched and carved. The scrim hardens and yellows with age. No attempt should be made to 'clean' a scrim as this can remove the tobacco, tar or whatever 'patina' was applied to stain the work and make the art carving darker. Natural cracks appear with great age. There are of course in addition to honest reproductions meant as novelty keepsakes, fakes and forgeries. If the scrim art is not as deep as the natural cracks, then the art was carved-on more recently as the cracks were already present. Again, a professional appraiser's opinion would need to be invoked. Legal restrictions and considerations regarding the buying or selling of antique scrimshaw exist.

As you might guess, -I would love to have a (legally obtained, permissible to own) sperm whale tooth or walrus tusk suitable to carve. Or, a thick-boned black or grizzly bear skull. I would 'detail' it similarly to that leather mask featured earlier, only, instead of using sharpened carpenter's nails or knives I would use precision rotary tools like what I use on my stone & rock-carving projects. *Sigh...*

Why So Serious Silly?

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A rhino skull. It looks like a silly smirk on it’s bony mug, no? No much room for gray-matter in there.

Skull Rock

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Skull Rock at Joshua Tree National Park , California. Realistic-looking, possibly a bit of the-hand-of-man was involved here? I can’t say, I’ve never been there. This looks very good though. -Here's stick in yer eye, matey!

Probably an Elephant Skull

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That ‘hole’ in the center that looks as if it was meant for one large, central eye is probably where the trunk of the elephant attaches and is the sinus cavity, not an eye-socket. Those two vertical fluted chambers in front might be from where the tusks emanate. The top flatness and square overall shape of the skull does suggest an elephant.

Or, it could be a Cyclops? Your guess is as good as mine.