Memory Jugs

Last spring we made a trip to Chicago where we visited INTUIT: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art. They had a great exhibit on art created by institutionalized people, but that's another story. What caught my eye was a small exhibit in their "Bathroom Wall Gallery" of Memory Jugs.

Memory Jugs are thought to have originated in Africa and were later revived by the Victorians. I love those crafty Victorians. Jugs, vases, or other objects were covered in clay and then tiny objects were imbedded into it to either help the deceased make their journey into the next world in the case of Africans or, in the case of Victorians, to remind them of the deceased. I like this as an alternative to leaving mementos on graves when it's not allowed. It might also be a great way to decorate the urn of cremated ashes.

Laurie Beth Zuckerman is an artist who has been sculpting Memory Jugs. These are lovely. Visit her website for more images. Zuckerman has inspired me to make my own.