The Urn Review

My mother in law loved her little Yorkie, Sophia Lorene. When Sophia Lorene passed away she was devastated. It was quit a sad sight to see. Sophia Lorene was her companion for a lot of years.

In her memory, she decided to have her cremated. My mother in law placed her ashes in a beautiful pet urn and placed it on her fire place mantle. As sad as that day was for her, she is still able to look at the urn and know that a little part of her is still with her. She looks at the urn everyday and it brings a smile to her face.

It can be very sad when your loved one passes away. It doesn’t matter if it’s a grandmother or a long time pet. Deciding on what to do with your loved one is one thing that you don’t want to take lightly. Making it special is important to keep there spirit alive.

One way that you can make their passing memorable is by creating a handcrafted memorial urn. This gives a special touch to where your loved one will be kept. You are able to give it the same originality and personality that once was your loved one. It makes for a great memory of who they are and what they mean to you.

Archaeologist Sam Lucy, a specialist in Anglo-Saxon burial customs, noted that the “Treatment of the dead was important to the living of this period; if it was not, we would not have the rich variation in burial rites that we reveal through excavation.” In the case of many pagan cremation burials, motifs and specific designs were inscribed on the urns. This had special meaning to the Anglo-Saxons, either magical or religious, or both.

In a number of other instances, lids were made for burial urns. Stones were also laid on top of the urns acting as lids. There are also a number of cases where window urns have been uncovered, containing pieces of glass inserted into the fabric of the pottery. There are also a few rare cases where, instead of making a new pot to bury cremated remains, Anglo-Saxon people re-used older urns.

An urn is a vase, usually covered and without handles, that usually has a narrowed neck above a footed pedestal. In more classic terms, an urn is a large decoratively covered container. Knife urns are placed on pedestal settings on a dining room sideboard. This was an English innovation for high-style dining rooms of the late 1760’s.

Another use for an urn is for a funerary purpose. These urns can be handcrafted. A handcrafted cremation urn can be used to store the ashes of your loved ones who have passed on. Urns can also be used as a decorative piece in your garden. Urns are also a common form of architectural detail.

When a pet dies, it inevitably unleashes a lot of strong emotions. Some people feel guilty, others go into denial, and others may experience anger, particularly if their pet died too young. Just about everyone experiences some level of depression. It’s important to remember that these emotions are perfectly natural and part of the grieving process.

Remember not to deny your pain. Being open and honest about your feelings, as well as having a friend or family member to confide in will help immensely. Often, having a funeral will help bring some closure. Whether you decide to bury your pet or have them cremated and put in a wooden pet urn, make the process meaningful to you; it will help in the long run.

Following the devastating earthquake and tsunami, crematoriums have been in high demand in Japan. Unfortunately, many of the crematoriums were damaged and working at a limited capacity. This has caused the government to bury the dead in mass graves.

The bodies are identified and placed in simple wooden coffins before being placed into mass graves. Government officials have assured surviving relatives that they will be able to exhume their loved ones at a later date for a traditional Buddhist cremation and burial ceremony. This is such a difficult time for the Japanese people. I sincerely hope that they will be able to cremate and bury their loved ones in handcrafted cremation urns; perhaps it will bring them some closure.

It was only recently that I learned the proper term for the building that houses cremation urns: columbarium. I was visiting my cousin in San Francisco and we decided to take a tour of the Neptune Society Columbarium, just north of Golden Gate Park. The building has an incredible history.

The columbarium was built in 1898 by architect Bernard J.S. Cahill as part of the Odd Fellows Cemetery. In 1902 the San Francisco Board of Supervisors prohibited the sale of cemetery lots within the city limits, and in 1910 cremation was also prohibited. The cemetery was moved and the columbarium fell into disrepair, changing many hands over the years. In 1980 the Neptune Society of Northern California bought the property and began restoration. In 1996 the building was added to official landmarks register of San Francisco. You can still see many of the cremation urns, pictures, and decorative pieces that family members left behind.

Every now and then I encounter a sad story about pet neglect. Four kittens died before they were one month old and the owners commissioned the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to cremate the kittens separately. The owners also commissioned four cremation urns with personalized plaques. Unfortunately, the owners never picked up the urns or paid the bill- which was due in 2008.

This is not an isolated case. The Wellington SPCA has reported that 17 sets of pet cremation urns have been gathering dust on their shelves. In all, the Wellington SPCA estimates they are out $2,000. This may not seem like a lot, but for a non-profit organization, every penny counts. It’s such a shame because the owed money could be used to help save and treat other animals.

What is a Spanish windlass and how does it apply to wooden cremation urns? A Spanish windlass is an apparatus that has been around for several centuries. It is used to move heavy weights. Typically, a windlass is a large scale tool that consists of a horizontal cylinder that is rotated by a crank or belt. A cable or rope is wound around winch, pulling a weight attached to the opposite end.

Sometimes a windlass is used to raise the anchor on boats, or raise water from a well. Crossbows from the Late Middle Ages utilized a windlass cocking mechanism. This same mechanism can be scaled down and used for a wooden cremation urn. When adapted as a lock, the great force that is used keeps the lid in place. Having a Spanish windlass on your urn is a bright idea so ashes don’t accidentally spill out.

When choosing wooden urns to contain the ashes of your loved ones, you want to look for urns made from cherry wood. What is it that makes cherry wood so desirable? First of all, cherry wood is considered a hardwood, which means it is incredibly sturdy. For use as an urn this is critical as you do not want the receptacle to deteriorate or decay over time.

Another reason why cherry wooden urns are popular is the color of the wood. Cherry wood is brown with hints of pink and red tones. Cherry wood darkens with age rather than bleaching or displaying a faded look. Decorative carvings and metal accents stand out against the dark wood backdrop, also ideal for wooden urns that will displayed in the home.