Burial casket

A burial casket of modular construction includes a sturdy central band member carrying mechanisms such as handles, latching or draw down devices, and other mechanisms. The band member is sandwiched between the concave sides of a pair of similar concavo-convex shell members. The three elements may be shipped and stored individually and different band and shell styles can be united in various combinations. Upon final assembly the band and lower shell member serve as the casket base, the upper shell member serves as the lid, and the band renders the casket rigid and strong. Retractable handle assemblies are mounted on recessed outer side walls of the band member, and are capable of moving between retracted and extended positions wherein the orientation of the handle relative to the casket is unchanged in vertical and longitudinal directions.