“Is it warning?” Carter asks. “Is it ironic? That depends entirely on your point-of-view.” One thing’s beyond doubt: the Texas-born artist has once again taken gun engraving to previously unimagined heights. “In my previous work for Cabot I focused on making a beautiful decorative yet functional object, something to delight and please the eye,” Carter says. “This time ‘round I wanted the gun to make a statement. To tell a story.” “Thou Shalt Not Kill” divides into two distinct halves: heaven (top) and hell (bottom). “Heaven” soothes viewers with three-dimensional sculpted angels (based on funereal art) and a golden cathedral window. “Hell” confronts viewers with demons (inspired by gargoyle statuary), a prison filled with tormented souls, a moonlit Grim Reaper, a spider and Beelzebub himself.