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 and Art History Books.

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