This mosaic is inlaid into the floor at the entrance to the dining room in Villa San Michele atop the island of Capri – a beautiful island across the bay from Naples.

The Villa San Michele was salvaged and restored through the efforts and philanthropy of a Swedish physician, Axel Munthe.

The mosaic features a skeleton holding a wine carafe in one hand and a water jug in the other.

The meaning is that one should enjoy life while one can, as death lurks just around the corner. A sobering thought given that the mosaic is a copy of an image from the ruins of Pompei.