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Churches, Orthodox Jews, and Muslims all felt cremation was against According to legendurn.com, “In 1878, Woking, England and
their religions, and the preference for full-body burial continues today. Gotha, Germany were home to the first European crematories in
Europe. … The return [to cremation] was not smooth at first, but
A Plethora of Urns changing attitudes caused a huge rise in the number of people opting
According to for it.” In quick succession following the first structure, crematoriums
GetUrns.com, in Central opened up across America and Europe, and urns became an important
European there was a series consideration after a loved one’s death.
of large, elaborate urn
cemeteries made from Urn Design and Value
1300-750 B.C. called Strictly speaking, an urn is a vase with a narrowed neck and a cover,
“Urnfield Culture.” This typically made of pottery, porcelain, sometimes metal, and rarely, glass.
was a time and place where Today, almost any shaped container can be called a funeral urn, as its
large, elaborate urn ceme- intent determines its name.
teries were built. “Their Because of the breadth and character of design used in making urns,
funeral practices were they are very collectible. At antique-hq.com, they offer a list of qualities
similar to the Greeks. Their to consider when looking at an urn to add to a collection:
dead would be put on A Saxon jar (410-1066 A.D.) • While most cremation urns were usually made with a matching
display, and earthly valu- from a cremation cemetery in Suffolk, England lid, older urns and urns from different cultures may not have used a lid
ables and food would be set per se, they may have corked or capped off the opening instead.
near the body to honor the deceased. Elegies, which were songs and • Older pieces, such as Roman burial urns, may not have their
poems, would be sung to further honor the dead. The website stated: lids anymore. Many were damaged or lost over time.
“After a feast, the body would be burned, and the ashes placed in • The modern style urn has been around since the 1870s. Before
urns. These urns were typically buried, and a stone would be placed at then cremation/burial urns were bulky and heavy. In most cases, they
the site to memorialize the deceased. were formed using a more simplistic design, strictly intended to store
“Over time, these stones would build up to create cairns,” which the ashes of the deceased as a sign of respect, nothing more.
are human-made stacks, mounds, or piles of rocks that served as • More well-to-do fami-
monuments, burial sites, or ceremonial grounds. East Sicilian polychrome ware from the lies may have opted for a more
3rd or 2nd centuries, B.C. ornate design to show off their
Cremation Turns a Page wealth, so these urns may have
The latter half of the 1800s was known for its innovation in how been decorated with imagery,
things were made and done. Before the 1870s, the use of urns for or have been made by master
storing the remains of a cremated body remained unpopular and the potters or stonemasons, and
practice of cremation appeared unseemly. have intricate carvings and
Thanks to Sir Henry Thompson, surgeon to Her Majesty Queen elaborate designs.
Victoria, cremation took a modern turn. According to theforesight- • Urns could have been
companies.com, “Thompson was concerned with hazardous health made of different materials
conditions posed by bodies before burial and assumed that post-burial such as clay, marble, bronze,
contamination was also a danger." Thompson took a particular interest wood, brass, stone, and even
in an innovative way to handle cremation being developed in Italy, glass. Each region and time
making it a more accessible and simpler process – something he then period would have used what
fostered in the British Isles. was available to them at the
In the 1870s, time of their construction.
Professor Ludovico • Do your research into
Brunetti invented the first a particular piece and check that the design and material match the
commercial cremation alleged age and location. Also, look for signs of wear and tear through
chamber, demonstrating repeated use, to help determine if it was a jug (wine stains are a
the invention at the dead giveaway), or an urn (there may be a name, religious verse, or
Vienna Exposition of symbol that could be found either inside or outside of the urn pending
1873, with an updated culture or era).
version shown at the Prices can range from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands of
1876 World’s Fair held dollars depending on age, condition, and beauty. Whether or not you
in Philadelphia. In 1874, use them for their named purpose is up to you.
Thompson established
the Cremation Society of
England and supported
the use of cremation
Pair of 19th Century French-mounted urns. The through his many
round urns are composed of onyx with bronze contacts and influential
ormolu and cloisonne enamel rims and bases with friends.
three legs cast with bird heads and feet. Selling for Another influencer
$32,000 for the pair at 1stdibs promoting cremation
came to the fore during the mid-to-late 1800s. A philosophy merged Above: Engraved wooden
with theocracy and was named The Theosophical Society, which was Indian urn, Right: The
founded in New York City in 1875 and then arrived in England. burial urn style of the lower
The Theosophical Society believed that spirits of the dead could be Magdalena River region of
contacted by mediums because they now existed on a higher plane. northern Colombia is
This led to more discussion on the matter of death and what to do with renowned for its figural
portrayals of a male personage sitting atop a low bench that adorn the urns lids
a dead body so that the spirit could continue on. The Society saw Far Right: Modern glass urn by American Memory Craft.
cremation as a way to allow the spirit to rise to this higher existence Header Image: Bold Medici cast iron urn in an authentically weathered dark green
with ease by cremating the body. Supporting and promoting the use of finish with some dark iron showing through. Circa 1900. Selling at eloquence.com
a crematorium made sense. for $1,720.

30 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles