Kent Parker
12-09-2005, 9:42 PM
Not technically but emotionally.
It actually a rather simple box however the thoughts involved during the making of this box at many times caused me to pause and reflect on the man who’s ashes would be held within it. It’s been two weeks now since Dan, my father-in-law of twenty years, died unexpectedly of a heart attack possible due to complications of Parkinson’s.
The day of his death we were at the mortuary attending to business and there in the “display” room were all these urns, vases and ends views of caskets. Everything from plain cardboard, painted cardboard to pine boxes and on up the ladder of expense. Rather shocking prices! I was not aware that my mother-in-law intended to purchase a box for his ashes and of course offered to make one.
So off to the shop I go with no design in hand and after many complicated design ideas, ended up with this. It’s Santos Mahogany with accents of Bocote. Hard to tell in these photos but the edges angle upwards to the top rather than 90 degrees. (The top is narrower)
<O:p</O:p
Though not Asian, my father-in-law was born in Shanghai so the box had to have a slight Asian theme. He was an engineer that could make anything from nothing to the marvel of all those that viewed the final result so there had to be some detail and some handy work. The little squares are hand cut and fit (detail) and the carved edges are the handy work. The top thingy…..I dunno. At first it looked like a Herreshoff cleat, then a fishing lure. He wasn’t a sailor or a fisherman so I dropped it down and there you go. Semi gloss poly finish.
Service/party is tomorrow and Dan will there in his new “home”.
Cheers and good health to all.
</O:p
Kent
It actually a rather simple box however the thoughts involved during the making of this box at many times caused me to pause and reflect on the man who’s ashes would be held within it. It’s been two weeks now since Dan, my father-in-law of twenty years, died unexpectedly of a heart attack possible due to complications of Parkinson’s.
The day of his death we were at the mortuary attending to business and there in the “display” room were all these urns, vases and ends views of caskets. Everything from plain cardboard, painted cardboard to pine boxes and on up the ladder of expense. Rather shocking prices! I was not aware that my mother-in-law intended to purchase a box for his ashes and of course offered to make one.
So off to the shop I go with no design in hand and after many complicated design ideas, ended up with this. It’s Santos Mahogany with accents of Bocote. Hard to tell in these photos but the edges angle upwards to the top rather than 90 degrees. (The top is narrower)
<O:p</O:p
Though not Asian, my father-in-law was born in Shanghai so the box had to have a slight Asian theme. He was an engineer that could make anything from nothing to the marvel of all those that viewed the final result so there had to be some detail and some handy work. The little squares are hand cut and fit (detail) and the carved edges are the handy work. The top thingy…..I dunno. At first it looked like a Herreshoff cleat, then a fishing lure. He wasn’t a sailor or a fisherman so I dropped it down and there you go. Semi gloss poly finish.
Service/party is tomorrow and Dan will there in his new “home”.
Cheers and good health to all.
</O:p
Kent