Beetles have adorned the decorative collections of Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg since the 18th century. They offer a vast array of colour and form and when used to decorate this highly detailed porcelain skull, are an all too timely reminder of our brief journey on this mortal coil. You could say this delves in to the macabre but the detail of the hand painting is simply breathtaking and in many ways joyous as the little creatures bejewel the silky smooth porcelain.

Skulls are not for everyone but with this created as a limited edition of just 25, they really can’t be. At £4900 it is a serious investment piece too but a snip compared to Mr Hirst’s vision.

Each skull is marked with the signatures of those who skillfully made each piece and with the freedom of various imagery to use, each one in it’s composition is unique. With gold and platinum detailing adding to the richness of the adornment, this skull completes a series of three designs first conceived in 2010.