Full sleeve tattoo embodies 'memento mori' tradition

This full sleeve tattoo embodies the 'memento mori' tradition – a reminder of mortality. The composition is dense with symbolic imagery including skulls, roses, an angel, a clock, and a raven.

Symbolism

• Rose: beauty and fleeting life
• Skull: death’s inevitability
• Angel: hope or spiritual guidance
• Clock: passage of time
• Raven: loss and transition

Overall effect

The overall effect is a powerful meditation on the brevity of existence.