My fine writing cabinet was a mess. Papers, envelopes, blotter, stamps, waxes, ink samples and spare nibs all in one deep drawer. I wanted to keep my fine stationery in a separate box so it wouldn’t slide around the drawer like a fleet of lost river barges adrift at sea. This gave me the opportunity to craft a letter box to my own liking.
When it comes to crafting something for myself, usually my first instinct is to go for a functional piece with a minimalist aesthetic. However, as the letter box would be indeed home to my beloved fine writing goods, I started to gravitate towards a case with a bit of warmth and character to it.
I found these lovely napkins in my découpage stash. I like how this simple technique can achieve a pretty and rustic look using decorative napkins. For the lid I went with a tin coloured metallic acrylic paint that goes well with the different shades of purple, lilac, blue and green on the sides. My initial idea was to use my ginkgo kamon-stamp in hot liquid solder and set it in the middle of the lid. However it felt too empty.
I’ve been fascinated with corvids for a long time. They are remarkably intelligent animals demonstrating advanced problem-solving, tool making, self-awareness and complex social behaviour. I often watch how jackdaws, magpies and crows visit our garden. Though I haven’t committed to befriending them myself, I follow the experience of a fellow countrymen, @LifeinJars🔗, on YouTube🔗.
So I reached into my stained glass supply box and bent & soldered some tin wire into a corvid on a tree branch. Like a skillful magpie he’s got my ginkgo coin in his beak. I applied patina to the wire forming the bird. It reminds me of the coat of arms of Matthias Corvinus featuring a raven holding a gold ring.
A flock of corvids is called a “murder”. So here is a murder of black fountain pens of mine. They go well with the letter box and its grey felt lining.
