A carved bone janus chaplet bead. French, mid 17th century. Carved with the head of christ to one side and to the other a skull. Originally it formed part of a rosary; the head of Christ acting as an object of personal devotion, the skull as a reminder of his great sacrifice for our sins and of our own mortality. The gentle wear and warm patination are a testament to the years of devoted veneration by its previous owners. Included with a turned bronze display stand.