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Dead Letter
Datum
2026
Medium
1095 high-carbon steel, 15N20 high-carbon steel, mahogany wood, tagua nut, moonstone, copper, brass, gilding metal, nickel silver
Collaboration with
Henry Le Page
Dead Letter explores the interruption of communication and the quiet violence behind messages that never arrive. The work draws on the World War II practice of anti-pigeon falconry, in which trained birds of prey were used to intercept carrier pigeons carrying intelligence.
The falcon and fallen dove stand for intention and vulnerability, authority and transmission, and the moment a message is extinguished in flight. The title references undeliverable mail while pointing to the literal death of the messenger. A letter opener, an object meant to reveal correspondence, becomes a symbol of irony and absence, as there is no letter left to open.
Materials reinforce this tension. The Mokume Gane evokes transmission and military systems, while layered steels suggest force and concealment. The moonstone, long associated with safe travel, marks a protection that arrives too late. Together, the piece reflects loss, interception, and the fragility of connection.
