Coffin 2.0
From Andreas Spiegel comes The Cocoon. An oval shaped coffin that is made of baked soy-based resin and lined with either white cotton or silk. The coffins compose in 10-15 years and can even be used to hold the cremated. The reason Andreas reinvented the coffin? His father's death in 2000 provided him with the inspiration. His father was an artsy kind of guy so Andreas was disappointed in finding that most coffins look generally the same.

What Mr. Spiegel had in mind was to replace the customary rectangular box with an ovoid shape, one inspired by the organic structure that gives his product its name: the Cocoon. He liked the way the shape created an implicit analogy between the caterpillar-to-butterfly metamorphosis and the life-to-death transition — a nod to the old chestnut that death is just another journey. On top of that, it was reminiscent of the so-called Jesus fish, a beloved Christian symbol.

The Cocoon will set you or the loved ones you leave behind $3,500 but there are various things you can upgrade and change about the intial configuration. This is cool and I'm sure a lot of people would be happy to use something other than the basic rectangular, wooden box. Reinventing something every once in a while, can be a good thing.

[nytimes]  ¶ 6:47 AM