Jeff Burks turned up this fantastic image from the 1850 book “Bilder des Todes oder Todtentanz für alle Stände” (“Images of death or the Dance of Death for all classes”) illustrated by Johann Gottfried Flegel and written by Carl Merkel.
See the complete book here.
In August we are hosting a coffin-building party for a few friends (it’s part of the research for “Furniture of Necessity”). I am sure that at some point during the weekend we’ll be re-enacting this image.
— Christopher Schwarz
I hope you’re not including a coffin as one of the projects in FoN?
We will have a coffin in the book. But not a casket. Big difference.
I guess Furniture of Necessity will cover everything from cradle to grave.
The caption:
“das Haus das du gezimmert hast, lass sehen ob es für dich wohl paßt”
Maintaining meaning, rhyme, cadence, I would translate it thusly:
“The room you’ve built of wooden bits; Let’s just see how well it fits!”
A literal translation would be:
“The domicile that you’ve carpentered, let’s see if it fits you well!”
Tja!
“hosting a coffin-building party ”
Literally?
A casket is on my project list! Though I’m not ready to start building or using it yet. 🙂
The handwerker is being “put down” because the legs of his workbench aren’t flush with the top.
I have always wanted to build a coffin. Don’t ask me why.
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Spooky.
The holders for the lifts look scary.
🙂 You will be needing a bench something like mine at your party, then. It came from an undertaker’s establishment in Stratford, VT. 13′ long, 6.5″ thick maple top. Almost long enough to lay out the customer on one end, whilst making the coffin on the other. greg
If you want some music to liven the party, may I suggest Florence + the Machine: My Boy Builds Coffins?
Will it have its own DEADicated chapter?
My in laws already think I’m silly for building furniture. Imagine their reaction if I were to build a coffin! 🙂
I’m reminded of a Northern Exposure episode when Ruth Anne received a grave plot as a birthday gift from a friend. She accepted with pleasure and danced on her grave, literally. Perhaps as woodworkers, we should build with pride our own coffins. Save our family $5000.
“should build with pride our own coffins”
Totally planning on it. 🙂
Once stayed in a B&B where the owner had a beautiful old oak coffin, hand made and hand carved from the 19th century that she had turned upright and converted into a liquor cabinet. It’s where she kept her “spirits”. (her joke, don’t hit me)
It was very beautiful and very cool. She did have to secure it to the wall since it wasn’t quite designed to stand upright. Her story of getting it home from the estate sale (guess the survivors went another route) is hilarious. At one point she’s pulled up to a stoplight with the coffin hanging out the back of her station wagon, and is explaining to the driver next to her that she’s “taking my late husband out for a drive.”
Sounds like a very cool party.