Category Archives: Symbolism

Centered at the base of the elaborate Victorian-era Starr Family Monument in the Forest Lawn Cemetery at Buffalo, New York, is a century plant. Many Christian symbols have been appropriated because of the qualities of the animal or the plant are … Continue reading →

This marker in the Cave Hill Cemetery at Louisville, Kentucky, displays the bronze sculpture of a dog awaiting the return of his master.  He looks expectantly at the gravestone in the distance while he sits by a granite bench with … Continue reading →

The young female figure, head looking down in reflection and sorrow, is seen holding an Easter lily in one hand.  Unfortunately, the fingertips in her other hand are broken, but it is likely her hand was holding a flower which she … Continue reading →

Victorians used many flowers in their funeral practices.  The body lay in state in the parlor of a home as long as four days, often without the benefit of being emblamed.  To cover the odors, Victorians filled the parlor with … Continue reading →

The matching segmented-top white marble gravestones (they probably wore matching bowling shirts, too!) of John and Rachel Ann Craft, husband and wife, are located at the First Baptist Churchyard in Kingsbury, Indiana. Each gravestone displays curtains which are pulled back to reveal a coffin.  The lifted curtain represents … Continue reading →

The curtain or the veil  symbolizes the exit from one realm to the entrance to another.  Here a little girl has made the passage from this life to the next as she seemingly takes one last glimpse at Earthly world. … Continue reading →

In this funerary sculpture, a winged Father Time is depicted here as an old man, with a long beard and a large pair of wings. Father Time is standing with one of the tools of his trade that makes him instantly … Continue reading →

The calla lily is a stunner with it’s long slender stem, brillant white flowers, and broad leaves.  Though it is called a lily it is actually not in the flower family liliacea. The South African native is actually a cousin to the … Continue reading →

The lotus plays prominently in ancient Egyptian and the Eastern cultures. According to Egyptian mythology, the lotus flower rises up out of the primordial ooze from which all life was created, opened, and the sun itself arose from the tender … Continue reading →

The United States flag is almost exclusively used as a symbol on the gravestones of veterans.  The flag is the symbol of our country and denotes patriotism and love of country.  It is displayed on the graves of veterans because … Continue reading →