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Antique walnut confraternity alms box, Italy, early 19th century.

A small container intended for collecting alms during public collections, processions, or charitable activities of religious confraternities. The presence of the iron side handle and the upper slot indicates itinerant use: the box was carried by hand and the offerings inserted from above without immediate access to the contents.

A particularly interesting feature is the frontal application of two skulls and crossbones in cast bronze, an iconography linked to the theme of memento mori and frequently associated with confraternities dedicated to a happy death, the burial of the deceased, or meditation on the transience of life.

Walnut frame with antique wrought-iron hardware. Original iron lock, working with a contemporary key. Simple interior, consistent with the object's practical function.

An object of strong symbolic value, representative of the devotional culture of the 18th and 19th centuries, today prized by collectors of religious art, Wunderkammern, and authentic macabre objects.

Condition consistent with its age, with original patina and normal signs of use.

Dimensions:
Height 12 cm (4.7")
Width 18.5 cm (7.3")
Depth of box 13.5 cm (5.3")

Overall depth with protruding elements approximately 18–19 cm (7.5")

Authentic and uncommon item.