Eagle Raku Keepsake

An eagle in relief sits on the face of this Raku keepsake, wings back, against a crackled glaze that came out of the kiln differently on every piece. The urn is five inches tall and five across, fired one at a time in the traditional way. Colors run through coppers, smoke, and matte black.

Sixty cubic inches is a sharing size rather than a token one. It takes roughly a third of an adult's ashes, which is what most families use it for when several relatives each want a portion. On its own the capacity covers a child or a pet up to about sixty pounds of body weight.

• 60 cu in; 5 in tall by 5 in wide
• Every piece is fired individually, so glaze color and crackle vary
• Ceramic is not suited to burial; keep it on a shelf or in a niche