The Ice Urn is designed for the dispersal of cremated remains in streams, lakes, or oceans, inviting water-based ceremonial practices. Its form draws inspiration from sheets of melting spring ice drifting across bodies of water, translating notions of fluidity, impermanence, and the passage of time into material expression. The geometry also addresses functional handling requirements, allowing the urn to be securely held, carried, and released.

The Ice Urn significantly reduces its environmental impact using reusable shaping moulds and low-energy freezing methods. Its production relies on a patented two-part freezing process that creates an internal cavity for the ashes while enabling the urn to float. The project is grounded in an ethic of material disappearance: water is temporarily shaped into a ceremonial object that ultimately returns to its original state within the natural environment, resulting in a near-zero-waste funerary vessel.

Part of the On Funerary Ashes and Design Project

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Manufactured in Montreal by Memoria. 2015—
Dimensions: Approx. 35.5 cm x 43 cm