Cremation Solutions

How would you like to be immortalised inside a replica of Barack Obama's head when you die? Or inside a model of a superhero -- one bearing your own face?

An American company called Cremation Solutions has devised a novel solution to preserve the ashes of loved ones using 3D imaging technology. As it points out, there are countless styles to choose from when picking out an urn, including some you might not be aware of.


The first option Cremation Solutions proposes is to have a bust made of the person, that then doubles as an urn. "You will never again have to worry that you might forget what your loved one looked like when you invest in one of these custom made very lifelike cremation urns," the company says on its website.

All you need to do is send the company two pictures -- one taken from the front and another taken in profile -- of the loved one in question (or yourself, if you're the organised type). Cremation Solutions will use 3D imaging to reconstruct the face to form the urn, which can contain all of the ashes of an adult. Hair can be attached in the form of a wig.

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Option two is a "true-to-life" action figure, with your loved one's likeness etched onto the face. The keepsake figures hold a small amount of ashes inside a sealed chamber within the head. Just as with the busts, for longer hairstyles they will come equipped with wigs.

If you like, you can be immortalised as Superman or Indiana Jones, which we can (sort of) see the appeal of. Some of the other options are more disturbing, however -- particularly the options for women. The "bad girl", "nice nurse" and "schoolgirl" figures seem to be straight out of the Ann Summers catalogue. If you were in the military or were a karate expert, you can have your face attached to a gender-appropriate figure, but if you're a female doctor, you're out of luck we're afraid.


The figures themselves cost between $100 (£63) and $200 (£127) and if you want to add a custom wig, you'll have to cough up another $300 (£190) on top (it's only an extra $250 for sculpted hair). The full-sized bust urn is more pricey at $2,600 (£1,653). A smaller version is available at $600 (£382).

Cremation Solutions gives several compelling reasons for taking these options when choosing an urn. Firstly, they are bottom heavy, so tend not to tip over. Secondly, the ashes are locked away inside the urn, so there's no chance of them spilling out.

Another benefit, the company points out is that "there will never be any doubt about what they are". This will supposedly discourage unwelcome questions about what your urn is or where it came from. We tend to disagree with this point -- if you saw something this freaky in someone's house, wouldn't you have a million questions about it?


Finally, says Cremation Solutions, it is great way to "have scars and blemishes erased for eternity" or "change your hair colour". The latter, we would argue, is totally possible in real life, and the former... well, once you've been cremated, these have basically been erased anyway.

A replica of a deceased loved one's head is undoubtedly a bizarre thing to have around the house. Still, grieving is tough, and if a customised urn helps you through it, then it's not our place to judge.

Unfortunately, the company is only shipping to the US right now, but if you're in the UK and you're looking for a unique way to preserve your loved one's ashes then check out And Vinyly -- the perfect final resting place for music lovers.