Wednesday, June 25, 2008

sad story


(urn by Gary Rith)
I have made memorial plaques for pets, but wondered if anyone would ever ask if I could make an urn for pet ashes. Well, sadly, Mary's cat is ill and will move on soon, and she asked if I could make an urn glazed in yellow with a cat on top of the knob, a very good idea. I was thinking the cat should be curled up and sleeping.

17 comments:

Reb said...

I think it is a wonderful idea.

Fortune Cookies said...

waaaah! I shoulda known of you sooner, you could have made max's urn...waaaah! I think it's a beautiful and lovely thought.

Susan as Herself said...

That is a lovely concept, and a fabulous result---love the cat curled up like that---so restful and sweet. A perfect place for ashes.

cm said...

Such a lovely memorial.

gary rith said...

death and taxes.....

soubriquet said...

Reminds me of the burial jars for sacred cats in Egyptian pyramids!

Back a long time ago, (over twenty five years), and an old lady, grandmother of a friend, and regular visitor to the pottery was dying. She came to us with a request that brought tears, She asked that I design and throw a big pot, that our friend and painter should decorate it, and that some of her ashes should be in the glaze.
We agreed to do that for her.
The pot was made and painted whilst she was living, bisque fired, She saw it and gave her approval. After her death, some of her ashes were incorporated in the glaze, and the pot was planted with a bonsai tree, and given pride of place in her family home, on an island, facing the sunset.
(The ashes went into the glaze calculated as calcium phosphate, the glaze was pearly with a hint of pale blue).

My father's ashes are buried in an English churchyard, in an apple-shaped pot, my mother chose it from existing pieces of mine that she knew he liked. She also chose another, very similar, to be hers.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that thought.

Latin Lupe Lu said...

What a nice memorial to have for the cat. I think the curled-up sleeping cat is perrr-fect!

Anonymous said...

Mary, may your cat pass peacefully.

Beautiful urn, Gary. Curled up cat-wonderful.

What beautiful stories, Soubriquet.

I encourage people to take part as much as possible as desired in loved one's dying and post death transition and markers and care and activities.

Karen said...

I stumbled here from Fortune Cookie's blog. You are really talented with the pottery. I am going to hang out a bit and check out your work.

Gordo said...

Great idea for the top, Gary.

Hilary said...

Aww what a sweet idea.

Thanks so much for your kind comment on my blog, Gary.

Mary, I'm sorry about your kitty. I know how hard that is.

gary rith said...

Well, not my kitty but a friend's, and thanks all, including new visitors! Our new friend Soub. has some quite interesting tales to tell...

Unknown said...

This is a perfectly lovely idea, but I cringe to think that some of your lovely work could be interred with the ashes, Gary. It's a great thought, but only if you intend to keep the ashes. My lovely Bella has just very recently 'left the premises' and I miss her like crazy. It's strangely eerie how we keep expecting to find 'em still with us in their favorite places, isn't it?. Sigh. A youngster of the felis domesticus persuasion will be coming to live with me this Saturday so I'm looking forward to his arrival.

Anonymous said...

You know, Gary. I was going to have you make a lovely urn for my Emma girl, when she died last month. But her ashes came back to me in a beautiful wooden box. I'm quite pleased.

Mary Lee - I know just how you feel about expecting to still see them in their favorite spots.

Mary - I'm so sorry about your cat.

Anonymous said...

Great stuff.
I just found your blog and love it.
Look forward to reading more.

Janet said...

Ohhhh, Gary...I can hardly bear to look at it, so sweet!

Farmer*swife a/k/a Glass_Half_Full said...

Awwwwwwwwww.......