19th Century Memento Mori Locket "Life & Death" Vanitas

A Museum-Quality Macabre Rarity
Presenting an exceptionally rare, original 19th-century Memento Mori ("Remember you must die") locket featuring a striking "Life and Death" split-face Vanitas motif. Pieces of this caliber and specific iconography are highly sought after by collectors of anatomical oddities, mourning jewelry, and antique macabre art.

The Design & Iconography
The locket opens to reveal a high-relief, hand-painted polychrome carving of a Regency-era gentleman—a "Dandy." One half of the figure shows a fashionable young man in a high-crowned top hat, double-breasted coat, and cravat. The other half is a starkly rendered skeleton, complete with an exposed ribcage and a skeletal hand resting near the chest. Set against a dramatic black backing, the carving is a philosophical meditation on the vanity of earthly life and the inevitability of death.
Museum Counterpart & Provenance
This portable, wearable locket is an extremely similar to a stylistic miniature of a famous life-size waxwork model from the Sir Henry Wellcome Collection, currently held by the Science Museum Group in London. The comparable example confirms its dating to the English/Continental Regency period (1810–1850) and its original purpose as a darkly philosophical novelty.
You can view the life-size museum counterpart here:
https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co77701/coloured-wax-model-of-a-male-half-skeletal-half-living-and-dressed-in-regency-clothing-england-1810-1850

Materials & Construction
The Housing: Hand-formed brass (or possibly pinchbeck) locket casing with a beautiful, authentic 200-year-old patina. Features an original, hand-soldered three-barrel hinge and top suspension loop.
The Carving: The polychromed bas-relief figure is likely carved from wax or an early period composition material back onto glass. The paint remains remarkably vibrant for its age, especially the haunting detail of the "living" eye.
The Setting: The relief is securely held by a hand-crimped inner bezel setting.
Please note just above the top hat,  there is an air bubble behind the glass backing.

Condition
Excellent antique condition. The locket hinge is fully functional. The metal shows appropriate historical wear and a warm, unpolished patina. The painted relief is remarkably preserved with only minor wear consistent with its 1820s-1840s origins. Please review all macro photographs carefully as they are part of the description.

Measurements & Weight
• Height: 6.0 cm (approx. 2.36 inches) including the suspension loop
• Width: 4.0 cm (approx. 1.57 inches) when closed
• Weight: 47 grams

A truly investment-grade piece for the serious cabinet of curiosities or antique jewelry collector.