So ‘relics’ are very important here in the story.  I have one as well.  In fact, I have been on the market for one for about 12-years.  Remember my story about the quest I have been on.  Once I decided that I wanted to make a casket, and after I had a chance to examine one, I knew I would have to have unfettered access to one to make a good reproduction.  Allot more about that later – from the woodworking side of things.

It couldn’t be a museum object, it had to be mine that I could do what I wanted with.  It also had to be in really bad shape, so I could touch it without destroying it.  I do feel like I am a caretaker of antiques and so would never compromise a piece in good condition.

So after over a decade of finding and loosing relics on the antiques and auction market or passing on them as not right, I finally came upon one that met my needs.  It had to have the right configuration internally, have some hardware extant, locks, etc.  But also be in really bad shape.  AND affordable.  Well, that last bit is up to discussion.  It had to be low enough that I could justify it from the business angle.

After much haggling with the owner in the UK, pictures flying back and forth and more questions that any dealer ever gets on the ‘workings’, the package arrived and my yucky casket showed up.  It is at once both truly yucky and fantastic.  This piece, has given us access to so many secrets.  

For that it is truely valuable.

Tricia