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Memento Mori pendant with a carefully burned, handsawn section of human skull measuring approximately 1x1.5". The skull section is set in handcut 18 gauge sterling silver with a sterling bezel, and a forged sterling accent token stamped with the phrase "memento mori".
The human bones used in these pieces come from a late nineteeth century skeleton used in a Paris medical school. When these specimens become broken or unusable, they are often discarded. By purchasing this obselete skeleton, we allow this person, who once donated their remains for study and research, to continue giving of themselves. Proceeds from my Memento Mori pieces are donated to Holt Centery in New Orleans, where the money can be used to provide memorial stones, groundskeeping, and care to those buried in poverty. There is a phrase that says "let the dead bury the dead," and I think it's a fitting way for the human pieces here to do just that.
Memento Mori means "remember death", or remember you must die, and therefore reminds you to LIVE, to treasure each day of your life because tomorrow is never promised. It is a concept that has existed since medieval times in art and jewelry. This is my effort to contribute to that deeply meaningful tradition.
