Shimmering Blue Aluminum Urn

Light catches the blue lacquer on this spun aluminum urn and shifts as you move around it, which is why the finish reads differently on a mantel than it does in a photograph. The body is a plain footed vase shape, 6.5 inches square at the base and 10.5 inches tall, with no applied ornament to date it.

Aluminum keeps the weight down, so one person can carry it and set it into a columbarium niche without help. The lid lifts straight off the top, which makes transferring ashes from the funeral home container simple: place the sealed bag inside, seat the lid, done. Measure the niche opening first if the urn is going into one.

• Full-size adult urn; the sealed bag of ashes goes in whole, no decanting
• Spun rather than cast, so the wall is thin and the urn is lighter than it looks
• A single-colour lacquer shows a scratch as bare silver, so keep it off a crowded mantel