Skulls across Civilizations: A Comparative Study of Eastern and Western Imagery of Death in Literature and Art

Shimiao Su

doi:10.71222/v9j67978

Authors

Shimiao Su The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.71222/v9j67978

Keywords:

skull imagery, life and death, comparative culture, Daoism, Christian vanitas, literature, visual art, symbolism, mortality, globalization

Abstract

The skull, as a universal symbol of mortality, has traversed time and culture to become a profound site of meaning in both Eastern and Western civilizations. This study offers a comprehensive comparative analysis of skull imagery across literature and visual art, tracing its philosophical, religious, and aesthetic evolutions from antiquity to the contemporary era. Drawing on Chinese Daoist, Buddhist, and Confucian thought, and juxtaposing these with Christian theology, Gothic literature, and European art history, the paper uncovers how each tradition approaches the existential dilemma of life and death through distinct symbolic systems. Eastern traditions often employ the skull as a medium of transcendence and natural harmony, while Western representations emphasize sin, vanity, and redemption. Through interdisciplinary analysis using literature review, iconography, and image interpretation, the paper reveals how the skull transforms from a symbol of horror into a cultural prism refracting human concerns with meaning, impermanence, and spiritual inquiry. Ultimately, despite cultural divergences, the skull serves as a shared metaphor for humanity's poetic and philosophical confrontation with mortality.

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