Inspired by the late-15th-century fresco Trionfo della Morte (1485) by Giacomo Borlone de Buschis, painted on the façade of the Oratorio dei Disciplini in Clusone, this wallet preserves one of the most poignant messages of medieval Europe: the inevitability and impartiality of death.

On the front, death appears as an unyielding crowned skeleton: La Morte Regina. She raises her hand, refusing gifts from a gathering of pleading figures: popes, emperors, nobles, and rulers, all brought to their knees. Her words figure as in the original fresco:

«Gionto la morte piena di equaleza,
Sole voi ve vole, non vostra richeza
e digna sonto da portar corona,
perché signorezi ogni persona.»

“When death comes with equality, She wants only you and not your wealth. And I am worthy to wear the crown, for I reign over every person.”

On the back, the Danza Macabra unfolds. A skeleton leads two souls: a young woman bound to herself in the mirror, symbol of earthly vanity, and a hooded figure (Disciplini) in prayer. As in the fresco and the allegorical tradition of the time, their paths diverge: one descending toward a monstrous hellmouth, the other ascending toward the serene, clouded heavens. The verse that accompanies this final procession is both a gentle admonition and a consoling truth:

«O tu che serve adio del bon core
non aver pagura a questo ballo venire
ma alegramente vene e non temire
poj chi nase elli convene morire»

“You who serve God with a good heart, Do not be afraid to join this dance. Come joyfully, and do not fear, For everyone who is born must die.”

Each detail tooled into leather revives the voice of the original mural, not as a warning to fear, but as an invitation to reflect. This wallet is more than a vessel for what we possess; it is a reminder that what defines us is how we face what we must one day leave behind.