Carpe Diem

Seize the day!

The emblem below is out of a seal engravers book from the early 1800's.

It is not just a macabre image of a skull and of death, but also a reminder of life.

To make the most of each and every day. 
The emblem motto is "It Hath Been", which is a reflection of how time passes.
It is as though the skull speaks to us:
"-Which You Are I Once Was, Which What I Am You Will Become".
 (J'ai Ete, Je Suis, Tu Seras)



Skulls as symbols were frequently used in the old days,
both as a religious representation and as a "carpe diem" reminder.


Etching from the 1500's by Theodor de Bry.

Below is an image of a skull from a heraldic book
that dates back to the 1800's. 



Skulls are a way of remembering your mortality, "Memento Mori".
It is a artistic and symbolic reminder of trying to perfect one's character
in life, by turning the attention towards the immortality of the soul and the afterlife.

Below is a wax seal necklace with the same motto as the emblem we started out with; 
It Hath Been
(Il A Été)



The necklace was made by using the impression of an antique wax seal that
dates back to the 1800's, and it originates from France.