Antique Funeral Caskets

Caskets play an important part in many cultures. After all, it is the special vessel that will embrace a loved one for all of eternity. The traditional casket found throughout the years has been pretty boring, comparatively, to the ones available today. That doesn't mean antique funeral caskets lacked unique features, it just means they weren't as zany as some of the more contemporary styles. They were also more revered and not as readily transformed into bedroom units, backyard coolers or go carts, which is also sometimes the case today.

Types

Different types of caskets have long been manufactured to suit the different types of clients. One unique look is the all-glass casket, which insures funeralgoers don't mess up the finely embalmed body or try to steal the jewelry. Caskets can be bare wood, metal, a combination of wood and metal or constructed with gold, silver or bronze fused throughout the material. Caskets can be found covered in fabric, with some of the most ornate with an overlay of thick white brocade. Interiors range from the simple pillow and wool lining to an elaborate silk confections that would put any live person's bed to shame.

Features

Early caskets for the common folk often came without handles, embellishments and other fine adornments found on a host of caskets today. Early caskets for the rich, like the elaborate caskets of the Victorian Age, were often cloaked in a deep, rich velvet and inlaid with a similar plush fabric. Certain styles have survived the ages, such as Jacobian casket, featuring finely finished wood panels with brass hardware, and the longstanding traditional style that features three handles for pallbearers on each side, a slightly domed top and some type of décor on the two ends.

Time Frame

Casket styles, embellishments and, most notably, shapes have changed over time. The 1800s featured much thinner, cigar-shaped caskets as if anyone who died would suddenly become very svelte. Some have gently rounded edges while others feature sharp angles reminiscent of a medieval look. Coffins, which feature eight sides instead of six and a very thinly tapered top and bottom, were also more of a staple prior to the twentieth century. Once the 1900s hit, funeral caskets became wider and more rectangular, a style that is still chiefly seen today.

Misconceptions

Antique funeral caskets are not dug out of the ground from ancient cemeteries but are rather found in funeral parlor overstock. Even the steady business of a funeral home may end up with more coffins than it needed. As the styles of coffins change with the times, the older ones became less popular and are often stored in the basement or warehouse gathering dust. The day then comes where they cross the line from being simply outdated to being fabulously antique.

Significance

The main focus of every funeral should be, of course, the person who has died. But don't forget that person is in a casket that will be viewed by just as many people. The casket will also be touched, leaned upon, covered with tears, knelt beside and, in the most emotional case scenarios, have a weeping widow or loved one throw themselves atop it. Funeral caskets should be solid, at the very least. The rest of its attributes, including style, color, price and adornments, is really up to the buyer. When funerals are of a very formal type, which pretty much all of them were in earlier days, the casket had to be quietly respectful. Now they can range from everything from a hot pink zebra stripe to one with cherubs painted on the sides without causing many people even blink an eye.

Geography

Houston is the home of the National Museum of Funeral History, which features myriad displays related to the funeral industry with a major focus on the ever-popular casket. This museum boasts a wide and unusual display of caskets and other funeral paraphernalia, including an elaborate collection of elaborately hand-painted Ghanaian caskets that include one fashioned like a giant crab, complete with six legs and a pair of towering pincers.

Resources

• National Museum of Funeral History