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Showing posts from February 22, 2024

Dr. Lee Jin-soo's Plastic Surgery Essay 39: Skull Models and Memento Mori

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  I am a plastic surgeon specializing mainly in facial bone surgery. Mastering the shape of facial bones and understanding them in three dimensions is the first step in studying facial bone surgery. I am someone who is particularly familiar with the appearance of skulls. In my clinic, there are several skull models (though "cranium models" would be a more accurate term, I'll continue to use "skull" here as it is more commonly used) displayed. I primarily use these when explaining the skeletal structure of the face and the content of facial bone surgery during consultations. However, ordinary people may feel a slightly eerie fear when they see skull models. This might be because skulls are symbolically associated with death. As skulls symbolize death, they frequently appear in art when the theme of death is required. One of the most representative paintings that come to mind when we think of skulls is "Vanitas Still Life." "Vanitas" is a Latin