Every Part Has a Name: The Surprising Anatomy of a Burial Casket

By Joe Clark | The Morehead Minute

Most people have seen a burial casket at some point in their lives. Perhaps it was during the visitation of a loved one, at a funeral service, or in a funeral home's selection room.

But how many people have ever stopped to consider the individual parts that make up a casket?

Most people recognize the lid, handles, sides, and interior lining. However, what many do not realize is that practically every component of a burial casket has its own name, purpose, and place in the vocabulary of the funeral service profession.

Terms such as crown, ogee, fishtail, bridge, escutcheon, and overlay skirt might sound unfamiliar to the general public, but they are part of the specialized language taught to funeral service professionals.

And some of these terms have been used in casket manufacturing and funeral service education for generations.

To the average person, a casket might appear relatively simple in construction. It has a bottom, four sides, a lid, handles, and some type of interior fabric.

But casket construction involves considerably more detail.

The exterior consists of panels, decorative moldings, hardware, and structural components. The interior contains its own collection of specialized parts, including fabric panels, rolls, folds, pillows, and overlays.

Whether manufactured from hardwood, steel, copper, bronze, or another suitable material, caskets are designed using combinations of structural and decorative elements.

Not all caskets contain every component shown in our accompanying illustration, and terminology can vary somewhat by manufacturer and design.

Nevertheless, the diagram provides an interesting look at the anatomy of a traditional half-couch burial casket.

Let's begin with the lid.

In funeral service terminology, the lid is commonly called the cap.

The uppermost raised portion of the cap is known as the crown, sometimes called the swell. It contributes to the distinctive shape of many traditional caskets.

At the end of the crown is a component with a rather unusual name: the pie, also called the fishtail.

This is the wedge-shaped portion of the cap that completes the contour of the crown at either end.

Another unusual term is the ogee.

An ogee is a decorative molding characterized by an S-shaped or double-curved profile. In casket construction, it is commonly associated with the rim or frame of the lid.

The rim flange, sometimes called the ogee flange, is the turned-under or horizontal portion of the rim. On certain gasketed caskets, the flange helps form part of the closure and sealing arrangement.

These terms might be unfamiliar to most people, but they are common vocabulary in casket manufacturing and funeral service education.

The accompanying illustration shows what the funeral industry calls a half-couch casket.

This is a casket with a lid divided into two separate sections, allowing the head portion to be opened while the foot portion remains closed.

It is a familiar design at American funeral visitations.

By comparison, a full-couch casket has a lid that opens along the full length, allowing the entire interior to be displayed.

The half-couch design introduces another component known as the bridge, sometimes called the header or cap filler.

The bridge is located at the dividing point between the two lid sections. It provides structural support and a finished appearance at the cut end of the cap.

The closed section of the lid is generally called the foot panel.

Although families may never hear these terms during funeral arrangements, they are important distinctions in funeral service terminology.

Perhaps the most surprising terminology is found inside the casket.

What appears to be a simple arrangement of fabric and padding is actually composed of several individually named components.

The large decorative panel visible inside an open lid is called the interior panel or cap panel.

It is frequently a focal point during visitation and may be personalized with embroidery, religious symbols, or other meaningful designs.

Surrounding this panel are the rolls, sometimes called coves or puffing.

These are the padded, rounded sections of fabric that frame the interior panel.

The fold, also called gimp, is a narrow finishing strip covering the point where the roll is secured to the panel.

Even the pillow has its own terminology.

The pillow top is the padded surface supporting the head of the deceased. The pillow box forms the foundation or enclosure for the pillow arrangement, while the pillow fold refers to a folded portion of its fabric covering.

Then there is the overlay, sometimes called the throw or overthrow.

This decorative fabric covering is commonly draped over the closed foot section of a half-couch casket.

The overlay skirt, also known as the apron, extends downward to provide a finished appearance.

Another interior component, the hinge cover, conceals the hinges that connect the lid to the body of the casket.

When these pieces are assembled, they create the carefully finished interior families see during visitation.

Most people simply refer to the hardware along the sides of a casket as the handles.

However, the complete handle assembly contains several individually named components.

The horizontal bar that pallbearers grasp is commonly called the bar or handle.

The mounting component attached to the casket body is known as the lug, sometimes called the ear or escutcheon.

The arm connects the handle bar to its mounting hardware.

At the exposed ends of the bar are decorative pieces known as tips.

Depending on the design, the casket may also feature ornamental corners, which contribute to its appearance.

Some caskets have stationary handles, while others feature swing-bar hardware that moves outward when lifted.

These are not simply decorative distinctions. The design and construction of the hardware are important considerations in handling and transporting the casket.

The main enclosure of the casket is known as the body.

Along the upper edge is the top body molding, sometimes called the body ledge.

Beneath it are the side panels and end panels, which form the walls of the casket.

Near the lower edge is the base molding, a decorative molding that often runs around the body.

Finally, there is the bottom, the structural foundation of the casket.

The arrangement of these components can vary considerably depending on whether the casket is made from wood, metal, or other materials.

A relatively plain casket may have minimal decorative molding, while an elaborate model may feature detailed corner treatments, sculpted panels, and ornate hardware.

For funeral service professionals, casket terminology is more than an exercise in memorizing unusual words.

It is part of understanding the merchandise they present to families.

Funeral directors may study casket construction, materials, hardware, interior fabrics, and design characteristics as part of their professional education.

Understanding these components can help a funeral director explain differences between casket models, identify construction features, and communicate accurately with manufacturers and suppliers.

The terminology also helps distinguish decorative features from structural components.

For example, a decorative corner ornament is not the same thing as a load-bearing handle assembly, and an ornamental molding should not be confused with a component that forms part of a casket's closure.

These distinctions matter.

For someone outside the profession, studying a diagram of casket parts might seem unusual.

But for those who have worked in funeral service, it represents one small part of a much larger body of professional knowledge.

Funeral directors and embalmers learn about everything from anatomy, embalming chemistry, and restorative art to funeral merchandise, business law, and the psychology of grief.

Casket terminology is one of the more interesting subjects because it demonstrates how much specialized knowledge exists behind something most people encounter only occasionally.

There is also a practical lesson for consumers.

Knowing the names of individual casket components can help families better understand what they are purchasing and ask more informed questions when comparing models.

An elaborate crown, decorative corner, or upholstered interior may influence appearance without necessarily determining the overall quality or durability of a casket.

Likewise, an expensive casket is not automatically the most appropriate choice for every family.

The best choice is one that meets the family's wishes, needs, and budget.

You may look at it a little differently.

That raised top is the crown.

The curved molding is the ogee.

The wedge-shaped section at the end of the crown is the fishtail.

The padded fabric surrounding the inside panel forms the rolls.

And those decorative handle attachments have names of their own.

What most people see as a single finished product is actually an assembly of carefully designed and individually named components.

It is one of the many lesser-known details of the funeral service profession.

And now, thanks to the accompanying diagram, readers can see for themselves just how much goes into the construction of something that most of us have seen but few have ever studied.

Joe Clark is a Kentucky-licensed funeral director and embalmer who worked in funeral service from 1988 to 2008. He continues to write about funeral service history, professional practices, and consumer education.

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