Q: I found an old child-sized coffin in an antique store in Nebraska. It has an oval glass window for viewing and a cover to go over the glass portion. It is made of a dark finished walnut with simple gold painted designs. I bought it just because I’ve never seen such a thing. It is about 33 inches long. Does anyone know anything about these?

A: Before the late 19th century, many children died of diseases that have been nearly eradicated. Funeral services were usually held at home in the front parlor. The body was laid out in an open coffin or in a coffin with a viewing window or split top. The coffin cover was used to protect the window when the coffin was moved or buried. Your coffin is narrow at the bottom, the typical shape used in the past. Coffins are not usually part of collections, but sometimes people think of a new use for an old item. One of the strangest we’ve seen is a child’s coffin made into a new wall clock. The auction house offering it for sale called it “a great conversation starter” and it sold for about $350.