time in ashes by joyce Fok from china

Ashes are a relic of the dead. Placing them at home in a portable structure allows the living to keep their deceased loved ones always close to their hearts.

An hourglass bears witness to the passage of time. When inverted, its contents trickle downwards until the upper half is empty, suggesting that time, and likewise life, will come to an end.

In combining ashes and an hourglass in a funerary memorial, we hope to help the living commemorate their departed loved ones, while also reminding them of mortality. Unlike a funerary urn in which the ashes lie lifeless and still, the hourglass allows for movement: as the ashes flow from one end to the other, the living are invited to recall the life of the deceased and keep them alive in their memories. As the ashes settle at the bottom, we hope that the living can be inspired to ponder the transience of life as well as the importance of treasuring the time they have with those who are still alive.

Time in Ashes can be placed in any modern home interior and goes harmoniously with the environment. People can also feel comfortable to hold and interact with it as wood is used for the body of the hourglass. The marble stand suggests importance of the object and engravings in different styles can be made as required by the owner making it a unique memorial item.