18th Century Original Handmade Italian Ossuary ORIGINAL ITALIAN 18TH CENTURY FINISH &WOOD Start Price USD 5,900.00 Current Price USD 5,900.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Tuesday, July 01, 2008 End Time Friday, July 11, 2008 Location Indian Wells, CA See more about '18th Century Original Handmade Italian Ossuary ' Description 18th Century Italian Ossuary. ORIGINAL PIECE Gold/Aqua Color Exterior, Earthy Red Color Interior, Handmade of wooden materials; Original 18th Century Finish and Interior still intact *Has not been used: No bones have been stored in ossuary*     "This piece was manufactured as a portable ossuary, or box of bones, built in the 18th Century in Italy. An ossuary, by definition is a place for the storage of human bones and was, in most cases, kept by the family of the deceased.  Because it was built in the 1700’s, this ossuary is highly decorated with custom Italian finish, and wood carvings; compared with the simple style of ancient ones which were often carved from stone, and were nothing more than a blank box. The names of the deceased were carved in to the ossuary where their bones were kept. There are different types of ossuaries ranging from complex underground crypts, to elaborate church displays, entire buildings, or in this case, wooden/stone boxes meant for one person’s remains. Most ossuary buildings contain individual boxes of human bone, such as this one, which are also called ossuaries.  Some are mass collections of the bones of many people, while other ossuaries are used for one specific person, usually a family member.       In Italy, the custom was to exhume the deceased as early as one year after being buried in a cemetery or the like, and the bones placed in an ossuary. Early tombs, which were often carved into solid rock, were expensive and thus would be reused. Roman Catholics (which make up about ninety percent of Italy), used ossuaries to house the remains of saints and popes, so the faithful could make pilgrimages to ossuaries to look upon them. Bones that were exhumed and found to be in good condition were believed to be representative of the purity of the deceased soul, and would often be put on display in churches.  Early European’s moved their dead after a set time had elapsed, while some cultures carried their dead with them in portable ossuaries because they believed this would make the spirits of their dead relatives more accessible." Dimensions:               Outside: 21 inches Height x 33 inches Width  x  17 inches  Depth              Inside:  12 inches Height x 27 inches Width x10 Depth Retailer: Donna Schuler Design Studio has been offering the best of Southern Californian home decor and interior design since the Fall of 2000. We work in high end home furnishings, luxury design items, and exquisite gifts for the home/office.  Donna Schuler has over thirty-five years of interior design experience and specializes in luxury/ high end residential home furnishings and custom made pieces. We are located in Indian Wells, California and import inventory from all over the world Retailer Contact: Donna Schuler Design Studio 74945 Hwy 111 Indian Wells, CA 92210 (760)773-9926 www.DonnaSchuler.com *Ask for Peter*   Email contact:  Droslice@gmail.com *Hinges intact but somewhat loose *Please allow ten to twelve business days for personal checks to clear*  Place a Bid!