Butterfly Raku Keepsake

A butterfly motif sits on the glazed face of this raku keepsake, which measures 5 inches in both directions and carries the crackled, smoke-marked surface raku firing produces. The butterfly is the most asked-for memorial motif there is, and this is a quieter reading of it than most.

Sixty cubic inches puts the piece between a token keepsake and a full adult urn. Families buy it when ashes are being split among several people, or when the whole of a child's or a small dog's ashes are going into one place, using the cubic inch per pound of body weight rule. Keep it indoors on a shelf or a dresser.

• Sized for a share of ashes rather than a complete adult set
• Raku fires unpredictably, so the crackle pattern and smoke marks differ on every piece
• Wipe with a barely damp cloth; raku ware is porous and should never be soaked