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January’s Featured Cremation Urn: Grey Wolf Grace and Power

January 24, 2017 Kim Stacey

Both feared and revered, the wolf holds a unique place in the mythology and folklore of cultures around the world. For many, the wolf is a sacred totem animal, expressive of a keen intelligence, an ingrained desire for freedom, and a strong connection to instinct.

This first month of 2017, we’re celebrating the power, beauty, and intelligence of the wolf with a special price on our Grey Wolf Urn for Ashes. This ceramic urn captures the essence of the wolf’s character and natural intelligence. Earlier this month we observed the full “Wolf Moon” and were inspired by this ancient creature.

celtic wolf

Wolf Mythology
Myths and legends about the wolf abound, many of which attempt to explain the complex relationship we share with these creatures. For example, the Ainu, a people described in Japanese folklore as “indigenous” to Japan and Russia, believed they were descended from the union between a goddess and a wolf.

Then there’s the Roman myth of Romulus and Remus, twin infant boys found and raised by a she wolf. (Unfortunately, their story doesn’t end happily: Romulus eventually kills his brother before founding the city of Rome. It seems his early years shaped his personality, mirroring the some of the characteristics of a wolf from his early childhood: wild, free, and dangerous.

The Christian Bible has thirteen references to wolves; most often as a means to describe the destructive and greedy nature of human beings. While many see only a dangerous predator (just think of the iconic “big bad wolf” in the fairy tales of Aesop and the Brothers Grimm); the wolf is described in other mythologies as a magical being with the power to protect and even heal.

Urn Garden’s Wolf Urns for Sale

These qualities–the wolf’s wild, territorial, and protective nature–are beautifully represented in our handmade ceramic wolf urn. We are proud to showcase American artists and this urn is handmade in the United States. This cremation urn will not only be a beautiful, and deeply meaningful, decorative addition to your home; it will also safeguard the ashes of your loved one for years to come.

Need help or have questions creating the perfect memorial? We can help.

5 Cremation Urns that Blend into Home Décor

January 26, 2016 urngarden.com

how to display an urn in the home So many families are choosing to keep the urn in the home in an effort to keep burial costs down. If you are planning on displaying a cremation urn in a prominent location in your home, whether it’s on the fireplace mantel or bookshelf, you want to make sure it blends into your décor so it won’t stand out or look out of place. There are five styles of decorative urns available that can help accomplish this:

Bronze Sculpture Urns

This is the top of the line, premium choice for families that want the only the best.

Looking more like a piece of art than an urn, bronze sculptures are a beautiful way to display a loved one’s cremated remains while blending in with the rest of the room’s décor. Animal and themes of nature are popular, you can select from a variety of styles including a deer, turtle, dragonfly, sea shell and eagle.

Bronze urn orders need a little lead time usually, but are so worth the wait. One of our most popular styles is a helmet urn for firefighters that can be personalized with name, rank, and department.

Decorative Cloisonné Urns

By using this ancient Chinese art form, a simple-looking urn can look unique and add a classic touch of elegance and totally blend into to the decor of any room in which it is displayed.

They are made by layering copper, brass and vibrant shades of enamel in blue, red and gold, blush pink, pearl white, and lush green. Interior decorators have used cloisonné for years to add color and interest to home decor.

Hand Thrown Pottery Urns for Ashes

These earthen and rich urns can add a rustic touch to any room. Made from natural clay, they can also add a sense of timelessness. Pottery urns can also be finished with lustrous glazes for a more elegant and dazzling look. Probably best not to display your pottery in direct sunlight as the rays can be hard on the finish and cause fading or discoloration over time.

Ceramic Ginger Jar Container for Ashes

Identifiable by its rounded shape, small mouth and domed lid, a ceramic ginger jar is by far one of the most distinct and attractive urns you can get to complement a room’s décor.

Tea Rose Cremation Urn

For centuries, they were used as jars to hold spices or simply for decorative use. Today, you can get that same traditional look with a ceramic ginger jar urn.

Traditional Vase Style Urns

This type of urn is made from metal, marble or ceramic and often have floral or a tranquil nature scene or picture on it and come in every color of the rainbow, including purple urns! An urn with a hand-painted desert sky or beach at sunset can add a touch of elegance to any room without actually conveying its original use. Many of the vase shapes will easily fit into a China hutch or display case and can be personalized with names, dates, or a verse.

Whether you are seeking a certain color or a theme that will compliment a personal collection we can help.

Buy Urns for Seasons of Life, Birds, Butterfly, Sunflowers

September 2, 2015 urngarden.com

Summer is winding down. The hummingbirds are fueling up for the journey south and the monarch butterflies are busy too. As the days get shorter, the leaves are in the early stages of turning color. All these changes tend to make me wistful. So sad to see the summer go. So many of our clients have had busy summers, dealing with family drama, illness, moves and the changing seasons of life.

Over the years, we’ve been working with artists to capture those moments that remind us that the spirit lives in the power of nature. Cremation urns that double as works of art and honor the essence of our loved one. Pottery and ceramic is a great medium and we’re so lucky to work with a couple of husband and wife teams that collaborate to create beautiful memorials. We love to showcase American artists and some of our current favorite creations are:

Sunflower Sculpture Urn.

What I love about it: Sunflower kissed by a monarch butterfly? Yes! This urn is a 3D sculpture that can be hung from the wall.

It’s a new concept that is beautifully crafted and hand painted.

This couple also does an amazing bass urn that can be wall mounted or placed on an easel.

Dragonfly Urn

It’s no secret that we’re crazy for Raku pottery and the urns and burial jars that a local husband and wife team create here in the Ozarks are also popular choices for the families we serve. They specialize in natural themes that resonate with our clients using dragonflies, feathers, and ferns that are hand carved into the clay and then fired to create amazing works of art.

Dragonflies are considered elements of wind and water and as a spirit animal, it signifies change. We’ve also adapted this tiny creature as a design element in cremation jewelry to represent peace, strength, and harmony.

This past year, we’ve seen an influx of the urn pendants coming our of China that copy existing styles. Urn Garden carries many pendants that are made by talented American jewelers that concept the original high quality designs and then precision craft memorials with love and care that can be worn close to your heart and last a lifetime.

Urns With Cardinals and Hummingbirds

Birds, butterflies, and flower urns for ashes are recurring themes at Urn Garden. We’ve dedicated a whole category in our catalog to them. The crimson Cardinal has spiritual meaning for many and seem to show up when you are missing a loved one. Based on that theory we took a snow white urn and painted a bright red Cardinal perched on a branch of blooming dogwood flowers.

So elegant and this style is gender neutral.

Mother of pearl Hummingbirds that shimmer on an adult size urn, or a miniature size fish, owl, or butterfly sculpture that holds a tiny bit of ashes to create a personalized memorial.

So many choices that don’t have to be difficult. Have something special in mind? We can help you create the perfect memorial.

Cremation Boxes in Shimmering Mother of Pearl

June 24, 2015 urngarden.com

Urns are not the only type of cremation containers available to hold a loved one’s ashes. Our shimmering and iridescent Mother of Pearl cremation boxes are beautiful alternatives to traditional urns.

The sparkling white cremation box shows off Mother of Pearl at its finest. The finish of this cremation container is very resilient, much like the loved one who passed away. Because of Mother of Pearl is said to have healing properties, having the cremated remains of your loved one near by can help you work through your grief.

The same goes for the Iridescent Mother of Pearl Cremation Box. The Mother of Pearl is still in its natural state having a gray or black tint. However it is still as strong and lustrous, and is said to attract prosperity and heighten intuition, imagination and psychic sensitivity.

Mother of Pearl has been used to decorate all kinds of fine decor since ancient times. Today, Mother of Pearl is found just about everywhere including urns, cremation boxes, musical instruments, jewelry, fashion and more.

Cremation boxes don’t have to be drab and dark, and if you have specific requirements for a cemetery niche or other need, we can help you find the perfect urn. We’ve curated a complete collection of mother of pearl memorials, see them here.

Buy Urns Made in the USA for American Heroes

May 19, 2015 urngarden.com

We love to showcase American made artists and the work is even more meaningful when the memorial is for a veteran. Whether it’s a flag case to protect the symbol of our freedom, or the urn that will be a final resting place, the superior skill and craftsmanship honor your loved one’s legacy.

Recently, we were contacted and commissioned to create a memorial for a gentleman who had fought in the Vietnam campaign. His sister chose a premium bronze sculpture featuring a helmet and boots to honor his service.

Usually, when families choose the bronze urns, they plan to keep them in the home or place them in an above ground niche at the cemetery. In this case, the urn would be buried in a veterans cemetery in California. Sometimes, the cemeteries require a vault or outer container for burials and we called ahead to confirm their requirements. Turns out, this location had no requirements and even accepted organic burials where the body was simply wrapped in a shroud and placed directly into the earth.

The sad part of this story is that this family was embroiled in an all out war among themselves. The sister was the executor of her brother’s estate, and in addition to the infighting, her brother’s service medals that she planned to incorporate with the memorial had been stolen. After collaborating on various ideas, we were able to engrave dog tags that were engraved not only with his names and dates, but also had the Great Seal of the United States and listed his accommodations.

Despite the drama, we were able to create a beautiful work of art that honors a war veteran’s service. In addition to artistic bronze, we work with craftsman all over the country to create quality funeral vessels in ceramic, gorgeous pottery, and wood boxes that have been harvested from native trees. Our jewelers are creating designer style ash pendants in sterling silver and gold that function as tiny tributes that can be worn close to the heart and we employ stone masons from the Midwest to create outdoor urns and memorial markers.

We are proud to support military service and help create and support American jobs.