JOSEPH

HIRSCHBACH

A NATIVE OF

MANHEIM.

DIED

APRIL 29, 1897.

AGED 35 YEARS.

The pointed white marble tablet of Joseph Hirschbach in the Home of Peace Cemetery and Emanu-El Mausoleum in Colma, California displays a violin in the arch of the gravestone. 

A musical note vanishes as soon as it is played, lasting but a moment; because of that the violin symbolizes the fleeting nature of life.  If the violin has a broken string, it is another symbol of the fragility of life itself and a reminder of how little time there is on Earth—a memento mori symbol.

It is also likely to represent the profession as a musician or the deceased’s love of music.