Presumably created as a powerful social commentary on how we’re killing ourselves at work, these office chairs were designed to resemble coffins. They do not look comfortable. Still, being uncomfortable is a small price to pay for looking cool when you’re attending the annual vampire conference.
I think the chairs are an interesting juxtaposition because dead in the ground or alive in the office are the last two places I ever want to be. These chairs really spoke to me. And they said, ‘Get out from under this horrid fluorescent lighting, go outside, be free!’ And that’s how I just lost my job. Anybody hiring?
My only real complaint is how little armrest there is. I need thick, cushioned armrests, so my arms don’t hurt. I guess these chairs aren’t about cushioning your elbows, though. They’re about reminding you of the fleetingness of life. Every moment is precious; pet your dogs often – that’s what I got out of this.
Very few people are comfortable discussing matters related to death. In some cultures, it’s even taboo to do that. Despite social mores and psychological hurdles, there are businesses that thrive around the passing of family members and friends. The state environment might be the last thing on people’s minds when burying their loved ones, but it might shock them to learn that, even in death, we continue to harm the planet that has given us so much in our life. Since it’s a rather morbid topic that very few probably want to broach, it took vision, courage, and ingenuity to design a product that offers comfort to the bereaved while also giving back something to the environment, making sure that we continue to live on, even if in a completely different form.
Unless we have relatives or friends in the funeral business, we probably never give much thought to what pretty much becomes the last bed our body lies in. Presuming, of course, you don’t go for cremation or other practices and traditions. Few might have given any thought to the materials used for coffins, for example, and simply presume that they eventually decompose and disintegrate along with the human body. That, unfortunately, isn’t the case, and most of our funeral practices, be it burial or cremation, actually continue humanity’s crimes against Mother Nature.
The Living Coffin, which also goes by the less morbid name of Living Cocoon, shatters those misconceptions and even offers a way for people to make amends with the planet once they’ve ended their earthly journey. Instead of the typical materials used in coffins, which often use harmful chemicals or non-biodegradable materials, the “box” is actually made of mycelium. Or rather, the coffin is grown from a type of mushroom that is known for being nature’s biggest recycler.
The idea is not only for the coffin itself to return to the soil but also to transform dead organic matter into nutrients needed to grow plants. Yes, it basically turns your dead body into compost that could nurture new life. Instead of a cemetery filled with concrete, dead matter, and pollution, a burial site can actually become the start of a new forest, with each tree forever marking where your loved one was laid to rest. Inside the coffin is a bed of moss, rather than fabric or plastic, which helps the process along without poisoning the soil.
It is admittedly a novel concept that could unsettle some folks, but it is also a simple yet effective way to make sure that we leave behind a good legacy, no matter how we have lived our life. One of the things that people are advised to do in order to live forever is to plant a tree, but few of us are able to do so during our lifetime. The Living Coffin ensures that we’d still be able to do that after our death and could even have a tree to our own name.
For some of us, being buried in a simple wooden box is just as good as being buried in one of those extravagant luxury coffins. But now that I’ve seen Saddleback Leather’s custom built casket, I think I’d like to be buried in one of these.
This impressive bit of leatherwork wraps an 87″ x 36″ hardwood box with nine full-grain hides. On the outside of the box are six, sturdy reinforced handles for carrying, and a trio of suitcase-like straps to hold the lid on. For the occupant, there’s a pigskin lining, full-grain leather pillow for “comfort,” along with pockets for storing mementos. A large wooden plaque hangs inside and can be customized with a saying of your choice.
While the whole idea of selecting your own casket seems a bit morbid, it’s something that’s better to do before you’re gone than leaving your family with that tough decision. That said, if you do want to be buried in this exquisite leather coffin, you’ll need to leave them $25,000 extra just to cover its cost. Or you can buy one for yourself now and use it as a trunk or coffee table until it’s time to take up residence inside of it.
Many people believe in life after death, which explains why they often bury their loved ones with important objects that meant something to them in life. What could be more important than the internet? New Zealand based fiber internet provider MyRepublic has designed a coffin that will deliver the internet to you long after you are buried.
It has internet connectivity, gaming and quality sound. This coffin will keep your corpse entertained for a long time as you slowly rot. It has a PlayStation 4, HDTV, high-speed router and surround sound audio system. MyRepublic Managing Director, Vaughan Baker explains;
In the great Kiwi tradition of not taking ourselves too seriously, the MyRepublic Coffin is a way of showing we’re so dedicated to delivering high speed fibre internet that we know no limits. In fact our internet connections are so fast people will want to take it wherever they go – even to the grave!
This is a great way to get their point across. If you really want one though, the company is giving away this coffin to one lucky winner. Or unlucky, if you have to use it right away, I guess.
The latest collectible from Awe Me’s Super Fan Builds is a coffee table based on Han Solo’s carbonite block. Because the metallic block could’ve been Han’s coffin if he wasn’t reanimated, Super Fan Builds built the table using an actual wooden coffin as its base.
Super Fan Builds built the morbid table for Ray Choi. Ray is a member of the 501st Legion, the world famous group of Star Wars cosplayers that use their talents and costumes to participate in charitable events. As the icing on this cold death cake, Super Fan Builds put Ray’s face on Han’s frozen body and gave him a Han Solo costume.
This is one of the few presents that’s equally appropriate for someone you love and someone you hate.
Do you love bacon? To death? You and your arteries might want to invest in this awesome bacon coffin. Who says you can’t take it with you? Let it wrap your cold dead corpse in smoky delicious bacon. This $3000(USD) coffin is made from gasketed steel and decorated to look like a mouth-watering slice of bacon. Now you can spend eternity surrounded by your favorite food. Sadly, you won’t smell like bacon. You will smell nasty. Maybe they should include a bacon air freshener for the inside. Just to complete the package. Oh wait. They do.
This non-traditional shaped coffin certainly makes it easier to load the body into since it’s already in the exact pose that all murder victims end up in (source: Law and Order. chung chung). Put up the yellow caution tape and the little orange cones cause we got a cold one here. This was designed by Faustine Gau and actually if you can imagine it with some brightly colored painting, it would almost be like a Keith Haring style coffin. (via technabob)
You’ve seen it drawn on actual crime scenes. Heck, I’m sure you’ve spotted it a couple of times on crime television shows or on related novelty products. I’m talking about the crime scene body outline where the victim’s limbs look like they’re all sprawled out in all sorts of directions.
Not a very pretty sight with an actual victim, I’m sure. But what do you do when you find an actual dead body in that position, and rigor mortis has set in?
You can have the body cremated instead of getting an extra-large coffin. Or you could have one custom built in the shape of the deceased’s final position, like this one that Faustine Gau from Seattle, WA built. I’m pretty sure that he built this for artistic reasons, but you have to admit that it does have its uses.
Let’s just hope that neither of us ends up dead in this position. It would be an awkward funeral and an even more awkward burial.
Artist Faustine Gau built this Crime Scene Coffin. It’s a casket in the shape of the chalk outline of a murder victim. Well, that’s just rude. I mean, someone’s gonna have to mold your grody dead corpse into that unnatural shape in order to fit you in that thing! And what if the rigor mortis has already set in? Oh, we’re gonna break your limbs and shove em on in there is what we’re gonna do. Because you’re the @$$hole who chose to make your devastated, weeping family stand over your lifeless body in such a grotesque manner. Jk jk your family isn’t gonna be THAT broken up about it. But still, totally rude of you to pull this kinda mess, even after you’re dead.
Better face it now – one day Fluffy’s time will come too! Awww, I know… sad. But here’s a way to remember your long lost pet forever! The Coffin for Pets is more than just a funerary container. Made of 100% biodegradable papier-mâché, the thoughtful design contains a single tree seed that sprouts into new life in the place where your pet was buried. It’s a great (and eco-friendly) way to cope with grief and remember good ol’ Fluffmuffin.
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