The Monmouth inquirer., 1906-08-23
MoRTuARY URRS.
vew York jewelers. Keep Them In
stock In Various Designs.

gew York jewelers. Keep Them In
stock In Various Designs.
! 1t will come as a surprise to most
persons to know that many jewellers in
Fifth avenue, firms whose names are
household words, keep constantly on
I hand a considerable stock of mortuary
urns and are prepared to supply Gus
toners on the shortest possible notice.
| Needless to say, these articles are not
exhibited in the showcases. In one
case we'll known firm keeps on hand
sketches of various designs, which are
cheerfully submitted on application.
And there is considerable competition
in this new department. Such wares
are advertised in the circulars or books
! issued by these houses, and great care
is taken that the designs shall nofD1e
stolen and adopted by rivals.
The love of display is evident X. this
trade, as in most others. The PIKE paid
for the more elaborate design e NOR
tuary urn is surprising. The xA1st ex-
pensive of these urns are made from
exclusive designs of good decorators
and the finest materials are used in
their construction. The designs vary
considerably in size and form. One
fashionable jeYeler, for example, who
carries a fews@xclusiye designs, keeps
in stock Urls varying from 800 to
$780, The cheapest of these designs,
a simple black onyx urn measuring six
inches in height, is quoted at the lower
figure. The most costly one is eight
inches in height, but is made of pure
rock crystal Some of the urns are
made of bronze and are decorated with
symbolic figures and other designs
which are signed by well known sculp-
tors. These urns may be had decorated
with carved ivory or with rich designs
worked out in silver or gold. Another
popular form is to have vase which
exactly reproduces some famous vase
of antiquity. Several of the famous
vases In the Vatican museum have been
carefully reproduced in bronze of late
for the New York trade. These special
designs are. of course, likely to be
very expensive, and instances of as
much as $1,000 being paid for single
mortuary urn are known to the trade.
For customers who cannot afford
these expensive forms there is great
variety of comparatively simple and
inexpensive designs. The great pro-
portion of the vases in actual use are
supplied by the mortuary companies.
A few years ago most of the urns used
in New York were of home manufac-
ture. but recently by one of the odd
freaks common to all trades the de-
One of the most popular forms. if the
word may. indeed, be used in this con-
Dection, is that imported from Japan.
These are of stone and excellent ma
terial and. of course, very durable. The
designs have been made familiar by
photographs from Japan. since they
follow the forms of the lanterns COM
mon to the ancient temples These are,
as a rule, cylindrical in form or square,
rooted over with the quaint roof acute
angles Of japanese architecture. The
weight of the covez or lids keeps them
closed.
Still other urnS are imported from
Germany. Many of the designs work
ed out in bronze. and even steel, have
a ready sale. The urns are sometimes
made in the form of miniature Greek
temples, with columns carefully pro-
portioned. with doors opening and lock-
ing to protect the ashes. The posi-
bilities of these designs are, of course,
endless. Even famous tombs have
been reDroduced in this way
A visit to crematory, and there are
several now in operation throughout
the country, will illustrate how far
this curious industry of supplying Gin
cry urns has progressed. After the
urns have been filed with ashes it is
customary to place them in inches in
the wafls.-New York Herald.