This is an urn I made for my dog India. The black glaze is remniscent of her thick, black coat, with a foreshadow of silver. Inside the lid is a rattle (of course), and I cheesily, shamelessly inscribed, “I heart India.”  The box itself is designed to hold a tennis ball, India’s favorite thing in the world, besides bacon, and perhaps me, provider of balls and bacon.

In retrospect, I realize that the piece has a distinct Darth Vader feel. This is funny to me; since childhood I have had an unrequited desire to name a black animal Darth Vader.

On the balcony, we have one of Niko’s water feature pots. Inside is a water lily, one of my rattles, many, many, snails, and quite a few mosquito larvae. A miniature universe, indeed. I’m rooting for a goldfish, though this might be cruel, considering the cat regularly laps at the water.