While obtaining my Master’s in Art History I lived in Florence, Italy. I was studying a completely different subject matter when my professor took my colleagues and me to La Specola: a strange and wonderful natural history museum that includes hundreds of wax anatomical models ranging from the 17th to 18th century. These were so striking to me due to their mixture of macabre and sensuality. Even though these models were created for scientific study, their creators were artists. Even with their chests split open to reveal the inner workings of their anatomy, the artists chose to pose these models in the classical style like a Venus or David statue. During this time death was so much more present, the average person felt more acquainted with it than we do now. Before modern medicine, vaccines, and sanitation practices, its estimated child mortality rates were as high as 40+%. Their familiarity with death often wove itself into their art, particularly the symbols of memento mori. Whether these reminders of death were depicted as a skull, an hourglass, wilting flowers, or rotting fruit they could be found in almost every medium of art, including jewelry. While I wouldn’t learn to metalsmith for several years after my visit to this museum, the lessons from my art history degree and the gothic collection still inspires me to this day when creating my work.

When contemplating my relationship with death the person I always think of first is my Grammy. I spent a lot of my childhood with my Grammy and most of my earliest memories are of her. I still feel a strange imposter syndrome talking about my grief for her as if it doesn’t measure up to the loss other people have experienced. She was sick for years before finally passing when I was 22. She lived with her illness since I was a teenager and I just felt grateful for having so much more time with her than anyone expected. Despite the fact that I lost her almost ten years ago I still feel her presence in so many ways even when I don’t immediately realize. It was only halfway through creating this piece that I made the connection that my Grammy died from mesothelioma. 

Materials: Cobalto Calcite, Sterling Silver

Measurements: 36mm x 27.5mm

Please note: all loose stone sales are final sale.