BLAG 01 - Magazine - Page 37
found in what is the largest collection of skulls
in Europe, and the only painted skulls in the world.
Most of the skulls in Hallstatt were painted
between 1780 and 1900, and the painting styles
have been influenced by changing fashions and
trends. Skulls with simple wreaths are the oldest,
while more recent work features narrow wreaths
and coloured crosses with outlines. Also popular
were flower ornaments on the forehead and, as
time progressed, green leaves on the temples—
mostly oak, ivy or oleander—and black crosses
in the middle of the forehead.
On the forehead of a skull, the name of the
person is usually written above their dates of birth
and death, often supplemented by their trade
or profession. A skull from 1983 is decorated
with a contemporary snake motif, and is also a
testament to the honesty of the village, and the
reverence held towards the signs—the gold crown
and inlay clearly visible on the teeth have been
left untouched!
Above: in old German, “(Here is) the
honourable Mrs Maria Ramsauer, wife
of the mining official [bergmeister]”.
Left page: the array of decorated skulls
above their corresponding bones at the
charnel house in Hallstatt, Austria.
Written by Tom Koch /
@tom_koch_bespoke_communication
The picturesque village of Hallstatt situated on the lake in Austria’s Salzkammergut region.
Issue 01
37
