# Monkey Holding Skull Sitting on Pile of Books Statue by Rheinhold 8H

## A Monkey Who Thinks: The Rheinhold Monkey Skull Statue

This **Rheinhold Monkey Skull statue** seats a thoughtful ape on a pile of books, holding a human skull. It measures 8 in H x 4.5 in W x 5 in L. The bonded stone has a bronze finish.

**Hugo Rheinhold** made the original bronze, Affe mit Schadel, in 1892 and 1893. It is also called the Philosophizing Monkey.

### Product Details

-   **Material:** Bonded stone with a bronze finish
-   **Dimensions:** 8 in H x 4.5 in W x 5 in L
-   **Weight:** 6.5 lbs
-   **Use:** Heavy enough to serve as a decorative bookend
-   **Collection:** Parastone Mouseion 3D Collection
-   **Original:** Monkey with Skull, Rheinhold, 1892-1893
-   **Product number:** RHE03

## A Berlin Sensation

The bronze drew great attention at the Berlin art exhibition of 1893. It was Rheinhold's first sculpture as a professional and an immediate commercial success.

The Berlin foundry H. Gladenbeck and Son marketed several versions of the monkey. One copy even sat on Lenin's desk in the Kremlin.

## Books with a Message

One book bears a Biblical quote in Latin, Eritis sicut Deus, from Genesis 3:5. It means you shall be as God, the serpent's words to Eve.

Another book is marked Darwin, a nod to his famous study. The Darwin monkey skull figurine is sometimes mistakenly called Darwin's Mistake.

The pose also recalls Hamlet contemplating a skull. Rheinhold turned a Shakespearean meditation into a question about evolution.

## A Philosopher for the Library

The ape studies the skull as a scholar would, and the joke grows the longer you look. At 6.5 lbs, this monkey on books bookend holds a shelf of heavy volumes.

Find more in our [Parastone Museum Replicas](https://www.museumize.com/collections/parastone-museum-replicas) and [Art History Books](https://www.museumize.com/collections/books-art-history-cultures-museums).

## Display and Care

At 6.5 lbs, the Rheinhold Monkey Skull statue needs a firm shelf. Dust it with a soft dry brush. The Philosophizing Monkey statue prefers dry air. Other sizes are available.

## Hugo Rheinhold in Brief

Rheinhold lived from 1853 to 1900 and was born in Oberlahnstein. The Rheinhold Monkey Skull statue remains his best known work.

## For More Reading from the Web

-   Read how Rheinhold's Affe mit Schadel reflects Darwin, Hamlet, and a famous Latin quote. [Affe mit Schadel - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affe_mit_Sch%C3%A4del)

## Details

- **Price:** 115.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Parastone
- **Type:** Statues
- **Tags:** artist-assorted, in-stock-museum-gift-store, interest-philosophers-writers-poets, material-bronze-finish, size-small-4-to-11-inches, statues

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default | 115.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Monkey Holding Skull Sitting on Pile of Books Statue by Rheinhold 8H - Museumize.com
- Monkey Holding Skull Sitting on Pile of Books Statue by Rheinhold 8H - Museumize.com
- Monkey Holding Skull Sitting on Pile of Books Statue by Rheinhold 8H - Museumize.com
- Monkey Holding Skull Sitting on Pile of Books Statue by Rheinhold 8H - Museumize.com
- Monkey Holding Skull Sitting on Pile of Books Statue by Rheinhold 8H - Museumize.com
- Monkey Holding Skull Sitting on Pile of Books Statue by Rheinhold 8H - Museumize.com

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> Source: [Museumize.com](https://www.museumize.com/products/rheinhold-monkey-skull-statue)
> Updated: 2026-10-31