Custom – One of a Kind – Ceramic
Funeral urns
Whether you are looking for an ash urn for your beloved pet, a loved one, or thinking of one for yourself, consider a custom, one of a kind ceramic urn.
Unlike a metal urn or a wood box, ceramic urns survive the test of time. While pottery can break, the shards will endure for thousands of years. Archaeologists look for pottery shards as a way to determine when that piece was made. The style, how it was made, and its carbon dating, can determine the approximate century it was created and often by what civilization. The shards survive time better than any other material except gold.
I can make the ceramic urn that has your loved one’s, or your pet’s name (or both) on it, that will last for centuries.
Epitaphs can be carved into the clay’s surface, added as a bas-relief, or sand-blasted into the glaze. Even if the urn breaks the shards can be reassembled insuring your (or your pet’s) name will still be readable many decades from now. You create the epitaph, of fewer than 100 words, and I put those words and dates on the urn via any of the above methods.
Glaze colors are available in a number of colors; however, a black urn is still an impressive piece. I fire my final glaze pieces to a high stoneware temperature (2234° F) ensuring the piece of pottery will be virtually impervious to the elements. It is also possible to have a small amount of the deceased ashes added to the glaze. When the ashes are incorporated into the glaze, and after the final process of glaze firing, they remain an integral part of the urn indefinitely. About the only thing that will destroy your beloved’s urn would be the destruction of the Earth.
Black and white photographs, as well as tinted photos, can be added during the final glazing stages of the urn or memorial piece. A digital photograph is photoshopped to turn it to black and white. Underglazes can be utilized to give the photo a hint of color or be left in black and white on a white clay (or glaze) background.
A photograph added to a white urn can be a wonderful way to remember your loved one or your special canine or feline companion. Especially effective is a small (6-8 inch) white bud vase as a desk-top memorial.
Memorial Planters, Platters, and Lanterns
There are those who prefer a memorial planter, platter or lantern to an ash urn. These are also available with the same possibilities of epitaphs and glazes as noted above. Some customers chose to have an urn made for themselves with an attached pet urn for joint internment.
With a modest manipulation of the final glazing (adding an area of white glaze) a photograph can be glazed onto the piece. Black and white digital photos work best, or I can tint the photo to add a touch of color.
To meet your desires in this time of need, I can make urns in a variety of sizes. Whether you need a small urn to protect the ashes of your smallest beloved pets or a larger urn to accommodate an esteemed equine, David Westfall Pottery is here.
