Life is Fleeting: Rosary Beads with Subtext from the Metropolitan Museum Collection

Beads with subtext were created in Germany around 1500–1525. Made of ivory, silver, and partially gilded fastenings, they are now in the Metropolitan Museum collection.

Rosaries were used in prayer as a means of counting the repetitions of prayers or psalms, especially in the Catholic faith. But in this rosary, each bead carries a deep allegorical load.

On one side of the bead is the bust of a well-fed city man or woman, symbolizing life, earthly pleasures, and prosperity. This reflected the wealthy and stable life of the urban class in early 16th-century Germany. On the other side of the same bead is a skeleton, a grim reminder of the inevitable death that awaits every person, regardless of their earthly achievements and wealth.

Ivory was a valuable material at the time, often associated with purity and eternity. It was well suited for religious objects that emphasized the importance of prayer and spiritual reflection.

Silver mountings and partially gilded elements added elegance to the piece and reflected the status of their owner. The metal parts probably strengthened the beads, protecting them from damage during daily use.

The concept of memento mori, a Latin expression meaning “remember death,” played a key role in the culture and art of the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. Plagues, wars, and other catastrophes made the theme of death central to the people of that time.

Rosaries with images of skeletons served as a reminder of the transience of life and the fragility of human existence. This contrast — between physical well-being and inevitable death — was intended to provoke reflection on the spiritual life and the readiness to face death with faith and righteousness. 

The Met's rosary was a spiritual compass, reminding the wearer to direct their thoughts and actions toward righteous living. It made one think about the finiteness of this earthly journey and that after death, what matters is not how much wealth or success a person has achieved, but how virtuously they lived their life.