These ornate bird skulls of bronze and silver invoke the forbidding image of the 17th century plague doctor, and are set with a delicate filigree pattern inspired by sacred shrines and reliquaries.
The original outfit has been traced to a French doctor by the name of Charles de Lorme, who designed the 'beak doctor' outfit in 1619. It comprised a waxen smock, leather gloves, and a beaked hood which was stuffed with dried flowers and herbs as protection against 'miasma' or 'foul air'.
The bird skull measures approximately 1.25 inches / 3.2 cm in length.