This piece has a bit of a history lesson with it. This is my interpretation of a Memento Mori piece. Memento Mori is defined as the medieval Latin theory and practice of reflection on mortality, especially as a means of considering the vanity of earthly life and the transient nature of all earthly goods and pursuits. For my memento mori ring, I chose a coin ring with the depiction of a Hobo Nickel. During the Great Depression, artisans who were out of work would take the Buffalo Nickel and carve designs into it, usually with a sharpened nail or other engraving instrument, and trade them for food, drink, or a place to sleep. A popular design was to carve away the facial features of the indian head to look like a skull. My Hobo Nickel design depicts the skeleton of a typical working-class man, top-hat and trench coat, with a watch dial background. The ring itself is a signet ring with the outside surfaces cut away to show the mechanisms underneath. The mechanisms are not functional, purely decorative. However, this piece has a lot of subtext about the nature of work, time, money, survival, the things just below the surface you never realize are there, and why we do the things we do. There are some elements that are personal to me as well, such as the "1982" on the nickel.

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