death and design

Sadly, earlier this summer I had to arrange and tend to the responsibilities related to the passing of my sister, Heidi Jahnke. If you've ever experienced the death of someone close to you, you know you feel the need to honour them properly. After researching burial urns it became clear that none of them would be appropriate. Since the plan was to spread her ashes at the beach in the Hamptons, I wanted an urn that could double as a memorial box I could place on my shelf at home. So I designed one that had meaningful purpose.

The equilateral triangle symbolizes my mother, who passed 13 years ago, my sister and myself. The number 3 is a powerful number in esoteric and spiritual teachings, representing the holy trinity of mind, body and spirit. We were also born three years apart. A small, very subtle weener dog is embossed on the inside of the lid because we were-are obsessed after having one in high school. Now this beautiful box that Owen Crane helped build sits on my shelf in memory of my family. It holds the brushes my sister painted with, the glasses she was blind without, the goggles she wore in our second home - water, a small vial of sand from the beach where she was let free, and a few other personal items. The equilateral triangle is the most stable shape and every time I see this box I will be reminded of the strength my sister and mother had.