This invention relates to conservation of the ashes that remain after cremation of the deceased, and to commemorative objects that provide for conservation of cremains.

Conventionally, cremains are conserved by containing them within a vessel, as for example an urn. According to the wishes of the owner of the cremains, who may for example be an heir or conservator, or according to the will of the deceased, such an urn containing the cremains of the deceased may be displayed to provide a memorial to the deceased. Such means of conserving the cremains present a risk of loss of the ashes.

Summary of the Invention In general, in one aspect, the invention features a method for conserving cremains, including admixing a portion of the cremains with a glaze composition, applying the glaze composition to a support, and firing the glaze on the support.

In preferred embodiments the cremains are the ashes remaining after cremation of the corpse of a particular person; the particular person is one whose cremains are to be conserved for commemorative purposes; the support includes a clay body.

We use the term "cremains'' to mean the ashes remaining after cremation of the corpse of a deceased. Cremation is an imprecise art, and the composition of (remains may vary according to the practice of the particular crematorium as well as according to the condition of the corpse. Cremains differ from bone ashes, in that cremains include the ashes of the softer portions of the corpse as well as of the bony parts. We mean the noun "deceased" (which may be plural) to include a particular person (or particular persons) who has died and who is to be commemorated by conservation of the cremains, as well as a particular nonhuman animal (or

particular nonhuman animals) — such as, for example, a beloved pet or a faithful animal companion or a sporting animal such as a racing hound or horse or a beast of burden — ho has died and is to be so commemorated.

The method of the invention provides for conservation of the cremains of a deceased by fixing the cremains in an integral part of the glazed and fired support, forming a tangible commemorative object that is practically permanent and that holds the cremains without risk of loss for so long as the object itself is not lost. A portion of the cremains of the deceased can be incorporated into one or more glaze compositions apportioned among and fired onto a number of supports, providing commemorative objects for possession of a safely conserved portion of the cremains by a number of persons who may hold dear the memory of the deceased, so that such persons need not travel to a site of deposition of the cremains.

In another general aspect, the invention features a commemorative object for memorializing one or more particular deceased, that includes a fired glaze containing a portion of the cremains of the particular deceased. In preferred embodiments the glaze is applied to a support such as a metal workpiece or, more preferably, a clay body and then the glazed support is fired. In another general aspect, the invention features a ceramic glaze composition, including a portion of the cremains of a deceased.

In another general aspect, the invention features a glazed fired object, including a glaze on a support, such as a clay body, the glaze containing a portion of the cremains of a deceased. In preferred embodiments the glaze contains a portion of the cremains of one particular deceased, or contains portions of the cremains of a plurality of particular deceased; a plurality of glaze compositions are fired on the support or clay body.

Description of Preferred Embodiments

The method according to the invention for conservation of cremains, and the techniques for making a glaze composition or a glazed commemorative object or ceramic object of the invention, employ the ceramicist's art as practiced by the artist or craftsperson — that is to say, the "potter's arf. The basic techniques are known to the student or practitioner of the potter's art, and are described in various reference works; a particularly useful reference work familiar to many potters in the United States is Clay and Glazes for the Potter, by Daniel Rhodes, "Revised Edition" 1973, Chilton Book Company, Radnor, PA.

A fired glazed object in which the fired glaze contains a portion of the cremains of a deceased (or of a plurality of deceased) according to the invention will necessarily admit of the degree of skill and the creativity of its maker, as the potter's craft permits apparently boundless opportunity for artistic expression. Moreover, a commemorative object of the invention that incorporates for conservation a portion of the cremains of a deceased can be made according to the specific wishes or specifications of the conservator (or the heirs or the will of the deceased, etc.). Any of such variations in artistic expression or in technique are within the scope of the invention, and the description that follows illustrates by way of examples the method of the invention and manner of making the invention. Method

For conservation of the cremains from a deceased, the cremains are obtained from the crematorium as if they were to be conserved in a conventional fashion, e.g., by storage in an urn.

A support is provided, which preferably is a clay body, formed and dried (greenware) and, if desired, fired (as in a kiln) to a low temperature, preparatory to applying a glaze composition, as is well known in the potter's art. The support can be hand made or machine made, as is known in the

potter's art; and the support can selected from an assortment of preconstructed styles, or it can be made to order, as a selection, for example, from a catalog of styles; or it can be made to the user's particular specification, as may be desired. Alternatively, the support can be, for example, a metal piece or metallic piece, and the glaze can be applied and fired according to techniques of the craft known as enamelling or of the craft known as cloissonne. Enamels are essentially the same as glazes except that, as is generally known, enamels are applied to metal rather than to clay and enamels typically are fired at lower temperatures than glazes.

A glaze composition is provided as a mixture of dry materials consisting primarily of silica and various other materials, or as a paste or a liquid suspension containing such materials, as is known in the potter's art. A particular glaze composition can be selected for melt temperature and for texture or color as desired. A portion of the cremains is admixed with the glaze composition, the glaze composition is applied to the prepared clay body, and the glazed clay body is fired (as in a kiln) to a desired temperature, as is known in the potter's art. As the glazed clay body is fired, the glaze melts in place on the clay body, fusing the admixed cremains in the glaze composition and to an extent chemically and mechanically transforming the admixed cremains within the glaze, as the glaze fuses to the clay body, forming the glazed fired ceramic object.

Alternatively, the cremains can be kept separate from the glaze composition until after the glaze composition has been applied to the support, and the cremains can be sprinkled onto the unfired glaze surface while the glaze surface is still moist. The cremains adhere to the moist glaze surface, where they remain throughout the firing process, which fuses the cremains into the glaze surface. Where the cremains are mixed with the glaze composition and then the cremams-containing glaze composition is

transferred to the support, some waste of the glaze composition may occur, resulting in a loss of such of the cremains as are contained in the waste. Where the cremains are distributed onto the moist glaze directly on the support, such losses can be minimized or prevented altogether. The distributed cremains can be covered with a further appUcation of glaze, as desired, to further ensure that losses of material are minimized.

In yet another alternative, where the glaze is to be applied to an inner surface of a vessel-shaped support, the cremains can be distributed onto the glaze composition on the inside of the vessel only; or the cremains can be mixed with the glaze composition within the very vessel that is to serve as the support.

The clay for the clay body, the type of glaze composition, and the firing temperature can all be selected according to the desired artistic expression, all within the spirit of the invention. Commemorative Object

A commemorative object according to the invention can be made according to the method of the invention using techniques of the potter's art. As will be appreciated, portions of the cremains of more than one deceased may be added to one or more glaze compositions to be applied to one clay body, providing for practically permanent fixation together of the cremains of two or more deceased, who may, for example, have dwelled together or worked together in life.

The glaze composition containing the admixed cremains can be applied to the support in a selected pattern which may be simply aesthetically pleasing, or may for example enhance the commemorative effect of the whole finished piece. Glazes in contrasting textures or colors can be particularly useful for such patterns.

The completed commemorative object can be useful in some manner apart from or in addition to its utility in memorializing the particular

deceased whose cremains are incorporated in it. It can, for example, have a shape and dimension that makes it useful as a container for an object or objects which may be decorative, for example, or may have some ceremonial significance.

Examples The following detailed description illustrates, by way of examples, a protocol for carrying out the invention to make a glazed fired ceramic object including glaze containing a portion of the cremains of a deceased person, suitable as a commemorative article memorializing the deceased. As will be appreciated, many variations of the preferred protocol are within the invention.

Clav Body

The clay body is constructed from clay, which can be purchased in a ready-to-use form, or obtained as a "natural" clay from a geological source, or prepared as a composition from raw materials (which may include natural clay) according to any of a variety of "recipes". As will be appreciated by reference to the potter's craft, adjustments in the composition of a particular clay can change its color or texture, its plasticity and workability, its tendency to shrink or to warp or crack during firing, or its characteristics in firing. A clay composition will therefore be selected according to the practice of the maker to meet requirements for the particular clay body to be formed and glazed and fired. A preferred composition according to the invention is one that is least susceptible to warping or cracking, as such effects are likely to result in an unacceptable product. Because the cremains may be regarded as precious, losses of product owing to clay failures or kiln accidents are to be avoided to the extent practicable.

The clay body can be made in any of the varieties of form that ceramic articles may take, including, e.g., forms of a vase, planter, unomi,

jar, tile, medallion, etc. The clay body may be formed by any of the techniques known in the potter's craft, including for example throwing, casting, or slab or coil construction. In one preferred embodiment, the clay body is a vase, formed by throwing on a potter's wheel. The formed clay body is dried and then bisque fired (i.e., fired to a low kiln temperature or "cone").

Glaze Composition

A glaze composition for use according to the invention can be made by combining a portion of the cremains with a glaze composition selected for its color, texture, and firing characteristics. Glazes can be selected according to the practice of the particular maker, informed by a general knowledge of the potter's craft, and according to the particular maker's practice and preference. High firing (e.g. , to cone 10) reduction glazes may be preferred, as these generally result in deeper and richer qualities than the lower firing glazes, although high firing processes are generally more difficult to handle than low firing ones.

Glazes may be combined on the clay body, for example by applying two or more glaze compositions over separate portions of the clay body or by applying one glaze composition over another. Where more than one glaze is used on the clay body, the cremains can be combined with one or with some of the glaze compositions, and not with the other or others, so that in the resulting fired ceramic object the cremains are substantially incorporated within a portion of the glaze that may present a pattern of color and/or texture. Moreover, more than one deceased can be memorialized in a single ceramic article according to the invention by combining portions of the cremains of more than one deceased with different glazes, and the glazes can be applied to the clay body in patterns of color and/or texture dedicated to the several deceased.

Conventionally the dry glaze materials are sieved to remove larger particles, and typically a 30 to 50 mesh-per-inch wire screen is used. Preferably the cremains are similarly sieved prior to mixing them with the other raw materials of a glaze composition or to admixing them to a selected glaze composition, or the larger particles of the cremains can be pulverized by mechanical means such as mortar and pestle. The quantity of glaze to be prepared for a given ceramic object depends upon the area of the object to be covered by the glaze and the method for applying the glaze to the clay body. Generally, 1 pound of a typical prepared glaze can be expected to cover about 4 square feet of typical glaze body surface. A wide range of proportions of cremains to glaze materials can be used according to the invention. Even a very minute quantity of cremains is effective to produce a glaze containing a portion of the cremains of the deceased according to the invention and, assuming there is a relatively abundant supply of cremains, it is preferred to use a measure that is easily handled and mixed with the glaze composition. As will be appreciated by the skilled glaze maker, very high proportions of cremains can affect the characteristics of the glaze (bone ash, a component of cremains, can be used as in specified quantities as an additive in specified glazes to achieve particular results), and such effects may be desirable or undesirable depending upon the glaze composition and the quantity of cremains added. A quantity of 2 U.S. Tablespoons admixed to 3 pounds of a prepared high fire glaze can, for example, provide a proportion yielding a satisfactory glaze for as many as 15 small clay pots; but, depending upon the glaze composition, substantially greater or lesser proportions of cremains can be used. Glazed Fired Ceramic Object

The prepared glaze composition, including the admixed cremains, is then applied to the low-fired clay body and the glaze composition is allowed to dry. The glazed ceramic object is then high fired to a temperature

appropriate for the glaze, as is known in the potter's craft generally, and then cooled to a temperature safe for handling.

Any conventional method can be used for applying the glaze to the low fired clay body, and a method can be selected according to the characteristics of the glaze, the size and shape of the clay body, and the effect desired in the fired product. For example, a pattern of distribution of a glaze over the clay body can be effected by brushing or dripping the prepared glaze composition onto only a desired part of the clay body, or by applying a "resist" to a portion of the clay body that is not to be glazed, and then dipping the clay body into a bath containing the prepared glaze composition or pouring the glaze composition over the surface.

Alternatively, the low fired clay body can be glazed using a glaze composition that does not contain any cremains, and then high fired to the temperature desired for the selected glaze. After it has cooled, the resulting high-fired piece can be overglazed using a low-firing glaze composition to which the cremains have been admixed, and the piece can then be retired, this time to a low temperature sufficiently high to cause the overglaze to fuse with the first glaze. A considerably higher risk of kiln accident or failures such as cracking and warping is presented at the extremely high firing temperatures characteristic for example of many of the fine reduction glazes, and applying the cremains in an admixture with a low firing overglaze can help minimise the risk of loss of cremains. Preferred overglazes include clear (i.e., transparent and colorless) ones such as, for example, the "Shen SN10" clear glaze, available from A.R.T. Studio Clay Co., Elk Grove Village, IL 60007, characterized as a cone 6 to cone 10 oxidation or reduction glaze that can fuse with a high fired underglaze at cone 6; or the "Amoco" cone 06 to cone 04 clear glaze.

The heirs of the deceased or the conservator of the cremains may prefer that each clay body and each glaze composition be made by hand, in

keeping with a wish to treat the cremains throughout the process in a manner that demonstrates a particular attention to and respect for the memory of the deceased. A catalog illustrating a variety of forms of clay bodies and kinds of glazes could be offered to assist the conservator of the cremains in choosing a commemorative object or to inspire the conservator to an original design. Alternatively, an assortment of clay body shapes can be prepared and kept in stock, and an assortment of glaze compositions (without cremains) can be kept in stock, to reduce preparation time. A catalog or other display of such prepared varieties of clay bodies and glazes can be presented to the heirs of the deceased or the conservator of the cremains, to assist in selection of an commemorative object for the deceased. Then the selected glaze (or glazes) can be applied in a desired pattern to the selected clay body and the glazed clay body can be fired to make the glazed fired ceramic object in just a few hours' time. Other embodiments are within the claims.