Ecce Homo by Bas Bouman

Necklace / Mourning

Published: 02.12.2025

Necklace: Ecce Homo by Bas Bouman.Wood (Walnut), brass. 2025.72 x 14 x 3 cmUnique piece.This necklace, Ecce homo, is a contemporary reinterpretation of Victorian mourning jewellery and medieval woodcutting. Inspired by erotic symbolism and religious themes in painting. Merging themes of intimacy and secrecy with the craft traditions of historical art and design. The locket reveals a miniature relief scene, hidden within as a private, intimate secret. The contrast between the austere exterior and the sensuous interior captures the tension between public decorum and private desire, a duality often presented in both mourning mementoes and historical erotica. The tactile quality of the carved wood, along with the details, makes this piece function as an ornament and as a narrative object at once. Sober, playful, provocative. The classic term "ecce homo" is repurposed in a taunting manner, reflecting on the superficial desires and self-importance of the human species..

This necklace, Ecce homo, is a contemporary reinterpretation of Victorian mourning jewellery and medieval woodcutting. Inspired by erotic symbolism and religious themes in painting. Merging themes of intimacy and secrecy with the craft traditions of historical art and design. The locket reveals a miniature relief scene, hidden within as a private, intimate secret. The contrast between the austere exterior and the sensuous interior captures the tension between public decorum and private desire, a duality often presented in both mourning mementoes and historical erotica. The tactile quality of the carved wood, along with the details, makes this piece function as an ornament and as a narrative object at once. Sober, playful, provocative. The classic term "ecce homo" is repurposed in a taunting manner, reflecting on the superficial desires and self-importance of the human species.