Glass Coffins

Glass coffins are just like traditional coffins, except that these are made of glass. Usually, when you think of “glass coffins” you probably conjure up images of Snow White’s coffin in your mind. Coffins made of glass aren’t really common these days, and are often reserved for VIPs and holy people such as the coffin of St. Mark the Apostle in Venice. Thai temples, such as those in Wat Khao Suwan Pradit, also use glass coffins to encase revered monks whose bodies were mummified after their death.

Types of Coffins

It makes sense for people to want to be buried in a decent coffin. Although not everyone is fortunate enough to pick their own coffin, those who plan ahead are given the benefit of being able to do so. Usually, coffins are either made of wood or metal. For wood, it could be pecan, maple, oak, cherry, pine, and walnut. Metal coffins, on the other hand, are produced from materials such as stainless steel, copper, and bronze. However, aside from wood and metal, there are also coffins made of glass and although rare, they are actually quite elegant and attractive. 

Shopping for Coffins

Shopping for coffins is not so hard these days, considering that you can look to the Internet to find companies that make and sell coffins.  People have become more and more creative and open-minded so you don’t have to look very far to find companies that can cater to your specific requirements. However, if you are thinking of getting a glass coffin, it can get a bit more challenging. A few years ago, Courtney Love had put on auction the glass coffin she used for her music video, but these things are hardly being sold or manufactured due to the rarity of people wanting to buy glass coffins.

Interesting Information About Glass Coffins

There’s a man living in Croatia who had commissioned a coffin-maker to build a glass coffin for him. He is not dying anytime soon but he said he likes to be fully prepared for his death, which is why he had the coffin built early. Right now, he uses his beautiful coffin as a coffee table displayed in a conspicuous area in his home until he dies. And there’s also an urban legend that tells about a man who loved his wife so much that he could not bear to part with her even after she died. So what the man did was to have a coffin made of glass built for his wife and placed it in his living room so that he can see her everyday. But that, of course, is not a true story. Glass coffins are beautiful and magnificent to look at. And although often used to display relics of saints in Europe, it is far less practiced in the United States. There are very few of these glass encasements here and they are always found displayed in Catholic churches, such as that of St. John Neumann. His body rests in a glass encasement in Saint Peter the Apostle Church, in Philadelphia.