17/06/2025
On the 29th of December 2024, my family suffered a huge loss, one that I had been dreading for some time. My grandfather, Ernest Minus passed away. We lost a man who we all loved and admired. He was not only a beloved member of the family but also the person who inspired me to do what I do today. Without his influence and encouragement I would likely be on a very different path.
I made this urn to hold his ashes--made from oak, with handcut dovetails, I felt it was a fitting tribute: his final resting place, made with the skills he had passed down to me.
My brothers and my parents gathered at the grave his parents shared and we buried his ashes in the urn on top of them. We raised a glass of Armenian brandy in celebration of his life, paying homage to our heritage and saying our final goodbyes.
In the days and the weeks that followed I had feared that walking into my workshop would be painful, surrounded by the tools he once used and passed down to me, but over time these tools have become a comfort. They are a reminder that he lives on in every joint I cut and every piece I make.
He taught me so much, and I looked up to him as a mentor, a master craftsman and a good man. It is an honour to carry a part of his legacy and my skills and my passion for this craft are all owed to him.
