The lives of pets are all too brief, often leaving their owners unprepared for their departure. With the development of the pet funeral industry, pet urns have gradually become a popular choice for pet owners, whether for cremation or burial. Beyond holding the ashes of their pets, these small boxes also encapsulate the memories of the owner and their pet.
Ahua designed a pet urn with the hope that owners can continue to ‘touch’ their pets after they have passed, allowing the urn to stand in for the pet and continue to stay by the owner’s side. Death is an inevitable end for every life. Over a decade ago, during a winter, Ahua found a frozen three-colored cat in the yard. It had curled into a ball, trying to keep warm with its own fur, but ultimately succumbed to the cold. ‘Peacefully and gently asleep,’ was the first impression that little calico cat left on Ahua.
Currently, Ahua has been raising a small local dog since primary school, and now at the age of 15, the dog has reached a ripe old age. “Recently, it has aged significantly, with failing eyesight and deafness… When I make pet urns, I often think of it.” Noticing the condition of her dog at home, Ahua hopes that one day in the future, she can use the urn she designed for it to make up for past regrets. She thinks that if her dog were to pass away, she would not be able to bear burying it and be done with it. Perhaps she would keep a bit of its fur, or in a corner of her room, place two flowers, light a stick of incense, pour a bit of water, or open some of its favorite snacks from the past, as a form of remembrance. When Ahua first started designing pet urns, the biggest challenge she faced was: how to make it clear at a glance that it is not a tea canister? On an autumn afternoon, Ahua sat by the window quietly reminiscing about her childhood days with small animals. Chasing, running, wagging tails, stretching, circling, and shaking hands… The “dynamic” and “static” beauty of small animals is unique, but a single piece of work cannot fully capture all aspects. Ahua watched a large number of pet-related documentaries online and organized them intensively. She drew many drafts in her notebook, and after much consideration, she was most fond of the state of small animals curling up to sleep, whether it’s a cat or a dog, they appear particularly beautiful when immersed in sweet dreams, with a sense of happiness that strikes the soul. Pet urns are not pet specimens; even the most accurate imitation cannot be exactly the same as the pet when alive. “I cannot, like the pet owner, understand their pet in such detail. The owner surely knows the feel of every whisker and the texture of the fur because they have lived together for many years, but this is difficult for me.” Therefore, Ahua decided to make the design “abstract.” Whether it has pricked ears or floppy ears, long hair or short hair, a cat or a dog? She leaves this imagination to each owner. “I give them a general shape, and they can imagine the moment their pet was sleeping, with the rest relying on their own memories.” Making a pet urn involves processes such as drawing drafts, making prototypes, molding, glazing, and firing, which is a considerable challenge for Ahua, who is new to ceramics. During the first attempt, Ahua tried to mix glaze by herself. In the workshop, she carefully mixed the glaze according to the ratio and then applied it to the porcelain blank.
The glaze was somewhat unstable, resulting in finished products that greatly deviated from the initial vision. “I intended to create a more realistic texture, capturing the essence of fur, but the outcome was…” Fortunately, Ahua possesses a solid artistic foundation and is adept at discovering beauty amidst failure. A friend skilled in ceramics, Friend A, gifted her a bottle of gold paint. She used it to repair the “defective” pieces, turning the burnt areas into distinctive features. The black and yellow spots resemble bacteria thriving under a microscope, teeming with vitality. Overall, the urn resembles the calico cat that curled up and froze to death in the yard over a decade ago. Ahua named it “The Dream of Calico Cat.” “Places that were once considered burnt or wrong are now beautiful.” It has become Ahua’s favorite piece. It was a stroke of fate, perhaps the life of that little calico cat from over a decade ago did not pass her by but instead grew robustly in Ahua’s memory. In traditional Chinese thought, laying the deceased to rest is a significant matter. But what constitutes a “restful” burial? Ahua wishes for her deceased pets to return to nature, to decompose into particles and merge with a broader world. She decided to use special materials to craft pet urns. Wood and paper, being renewable, are excellent choices. She dyes paper with flowers, grass leaves, and wood shavings, then adorns it with patterns. Additionally, she incorporates plant seeds into the paper urns, which can absorb nutrients. When buried with the ashes of a small animal, these seeds will sprout in the following spring, giving rise to new life. Pets have such fleeting lives, with a significant portion succumbing to accidents like falls and traffic accidents. Ahua does not want pet owners to remain mired in the sorrow of losing their beloved pets; she hopes they can roam freely in a vast world in another form. Seeds carry hope and signify the cycle of life, returning to the earth and becoming part of the cycle, adding an element of environmental protection. Beyond that, Ahua also introduces metallic elements into the pet urns. These metal powders undergo chemical reactions with gases and water in the air, leading to color changes such as rust and patina. She says, “After losing a pet, emotions evolve over time, perhaps starting with sadness and later becoming more about memories. The color of the urn will also change over time.” It is less an urn and more a mirror for pet owners to reflect on their pets.
As time goes by, the owner gradually eases their sorrow. This small urn, serving as a replacement for the pet, accompanies the owner on their long emotional journey.