NAVIGATION

The Skull and Cross Bones as a memento mori: a symbol of death and
mortality was rarely used in sculpture before the late 16th century.
The Skull and Cross Bones is both a reminder of the humility of death
and that whatever one's status and wealth in life everyone must come in
the end to the same condition. It must be remembered that death was
regarded as an integral part of life, as in inscription on an early
16th century brass declares 'As ye me see in such degree So shall ye be
another day'.
The Cotswold limestone belt which created the great wool wealth, and
some of the best English parish churches, provided an endless supply of
high quality stone and attracted some of the best masons. This rare
English Renaissance example is therefore most probably from this
Cotswold/Gloucestershire area.