Cinerary Urn
Artist
William Morris
(American, b. 1957)
CultureAmerican
Date2002
MediumBlown glass with horse hair
Dimensions9 × 9 × 8 3/8 in. (22.9 × 22.9 × 21.3 cm)
Base: 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm)
Overall, Rim: 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm)
Base: 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm)
Overall, Rim: 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm)
SignedIn script on base: "William Morris 2002"
Credit LineGift of the artist
Object number2002.20
Not on view
DescriptionThis is an urn of blown glass in black with irregular red splotches and hints of green, purple, and yellow color. It is a squat rounded form with loops for the ties on either side and a tight fitting round lid with a single handle on top. The lid is secured to the sides with horse hair and set with glass rods.Label TextWilliam Morris American (b. 1957) Cinerary Urn, 2002 Blown glass with horse hair Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA Gift of the artist 2002.20 Mystery is the hidden companion of joy and of loss, both of which are deeply felt but not always understood…. Our creativity and intuition access endless magic. If we draw upon them during the mourning process, many of our learned notions about death-taught to us so that we might be spared pain and discomfort-dissolve, bringing us to a place of liquid contemplation. ~William Morris, 2002 Cinerary urns are vessels intended to house the cremated remains of the dead. The ancient Romans were the first to fashion them from glass. William Morris created his first Cinerary Urn after the death of his mother in 2001. The vessels became a series following the deaths of other close friends and mentors, as well as the lives lost in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Morris drew inspiration for the urns from a multitude of cultural sources, searching for a common, human need to deal with the awe and mystery of death. ProvenanceThe artist, 2002; Gift of the artist to Chrysler Museum of Art, 2002. Exhibition History"William Morris: Elegy," The Museum of Arts and Design, New York, Ny., Jan. 17 - Apr. 22, 2003. Published ReferencesWilliam Morris, _William Morris: Cinerary Urn Installation_, exh. cat., Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., and The Museum of Arts and Design, New York, Ny., 2002-2003, 24-25.
