Do You have any Heirlooms?

A couple of weeks ago I started a Facebook group THE MUSEUM OF US inviting people to join and post on their treasured heirloom objects and the stories behind them. I’ve been amazed with how it has taken off and the wonderful array of “things” and their stories that have been posted.

Not a single one of the posts is of anything valuable, it seems to be more about the tales behind them. Remembering them being used or imagining them being used, or how they came to be in their possession. It’s a fascinating tour around peoples heirlooms and memorial objects, full of the twists and turns in families.

Please do join the group and contribute your own treasured object and it’s story.

Follow the link THE MUSEUM of US and become part of the ever growing stories.

What is the difference between an Heirloom and a Memorial? 

The two are quite different in some ways and the same in others.

An heirloom is something a family member or friend has formerly owned and it has then been passed on as a reminder or legacy of that person. 

A memorial is something made usually after the death of a person to commemorate their lives. Traditionally this would be a headstone or grave marker in a cemetery or churchyard. As people move around more along with the the shift away from the traditional, new ideas for memorials have come up, including the bespoke sculptures and glass we produce at Elysium Memorials.

I think this is where the heirloom and the memorial morphs. Instead of the memorial being a slab of stone in a cemetery, it becomes a beautiful object passed down through the family, along with the stories of the person. 

How Memorial Design Ideas Develop?

A memorial can reflect the personality of the person it represents with good design. It can also be a wonderful work of art for future generations to enjoy.

When a client approaches us, we try and come up with memorial ideas that are sparked by the stories of the persons life. These are then distilled into a design that works aesthetically as a piece of art, as well symbolising a life.

This is what I think can make the work we do so powerful. The mixture of being a memorial and an heirloom.