Peace Ceramic Urn

Potted and glazed by hand, this ceramic urn stands 9.5 inches tall and carries no printed pattern; the glaze itself is the finish, and it varies slightly from piece to piece because of that. The shoulder tapers in to a lid that lifts straight off.

It loads from the top, which is the simplest arrangement there is: lift the lid, place the sealed bag of ashes inside, put the lid back. Fired ceramic has real weight, so it stays where you set it on a mantel or a shelf. That same fired clay is the reason it is the wrong choice for burial, or for anywhere a sleeve could catch it.

• Adult proportions at 9.5 in tall, on a footprint that suits a mantel
• Top-loading lid with no threads, screws, or fasteners to work
• Dust with a dry cloth; abrasive cleaners will mark a ceramic glaze permanently