Memento Mori in the form of a coffin
attributed to Chicart Bailly ivory, ebony, 1520-1530
Worms flies and toads feast on a decomposing body. This sinister figurine is a memento mori.
The Latin maxim serves as a reminder that man should never forget his mortality. Ultimately, death is inevitable and one must answer to God. Earthly matters, such as power and wealth, are temporary.
In death, we are all the same: a corpse being devoured by crawly creatures.