Coffin Trivia

Coffins (reproduced from a British magazine)
"The standard British coffin is traditionally shaped (wider at the shoulders, narrowing towards the head and feet) and has a one-piece lid which is separate from the rest and is fixed down with screws. The idea of open coffins has not caught on here and most people regard the idea with some distaste. The American rectangular casket with a hinged lid is becoming available but is far from common. Coffins are normally made of oak or elm, with brass fittings, but for cremations they are pine (sometimes veneered with a finer wood) with plastic fittings colored brass. In the case of burials a coffin plate is attached to the lid giving name and date of the deceased. In a cremation the coffin is burned with the body, although there are stories of coffins being taken away by funeral directors and re-sold! Coffins are normally plain polished wood, although coffins covered in maroon or black velvet held down with brass headed nails in elaborate patterns used to be seen, I have not heard of one for some years. Babies and small children's coffins are white".

(American History) The local cabinetmaker also served as the undertaker in 1875. Coffins were simply constructed using wood and nails. A coffin for common people and farmers only took one or two days to make. A coffin for an upper-class citizen was more elaborate and included intricate designs and carvings. Some people mistakenly believe that a coffin is a tapered hexagonal or octagonal box used for a burial, and that a rectangular coffin ought to be called a "casket" instead. This is a euphemism invented by the funeral director's industry. They are all coffins, regardless of shape, and regardless of the amount of upholstery they contain.

Other cultures that practice burial have widely different styles of coffin. In some varieties of orthodox Judaism, the coffin must be plain, made of wood, and contain no metal parts nor adornments. These coffins use wooden pegs instead of nails. In China and Japan, coffins made from the scented, decay-resistant wood of cypress, sugi, thuja and incense-cedar are in high demand. In Africa, elaborate coffins are built in the shapes of various mundane objects, like automobiles or aeroplanes.

Coffins have been traditionally made of wood. In the United States of America, it was common for coffins to be made to order by carpenters until the late nineteenth century. Eventually, the manufacture of coffins became a national industry, and dealers were typically in the furniture business. The traditional, hexagonal pine coffin gave way at this time to the rectangular model. Metal, fiberglass, particle board (chipboard) and cardboard coffins are available today. While the less durable materials are usually chosen on grounds of cost, they may also be chosen out of environmental concern; cardboard coffins are generally used in woodland burials.

Some of the most beautiful coffins can be found at: COFANI FUNEBRI

More interesting coffin facts can be found at: RUDIMENTS OF WISDOM

Thoughts to Ponder: 10 Valuable Life Lessons...Learned From Coffins

Collection These are just some of Mordaunte's 350+ personal coffin collection.. She has been collecting high-quality, rare and collectible coffin-shaped items for 35 years. She has found coffin-shaped items from all over the world and made into every article imaginable. Some more of the unique coffin-shaped pieces are a 1950's sorority pin, a cake pan, a 1900's antique mirror, and a 6 1/2 foot mahogany coffin from Brazil. Her collection also includes a custom tattoo designed by The Reverend Dark. Mordaunte talks about her collection on the Hamish and Jolene breakfast show, New Zealand radio 93.4 - listen to it here. She talks more about her collection and her business to "Rattlehead" of West Palm Beach, Florida's WMTL radio - read the transcript. In February 2006 a student from Columbia University writes about Mordaunte's coffin collection.