Posted in Cemetery Sculpture, Symbolism, tagged curtains, grave art, malabar farm, ohio, olivet cemetery, sculpture, symbolism, veil on March 10, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Carvings that look like drapes or curtains on tombstones usually symbolize the veil between this world and the next. They also harken back to an earlier time, where the rites of mourning took place in the home and customs included draping it in black.
Posted in Cemetery Sculpture, Symbolism, tagged ashtabula, calvary cemetery, chestnut grove cemetery, chicago, curtains, drapes, grave art, harrisburg, harrisburg cemetery, illinois, ohio, pennsylvania, sculpture, symbolism on September 12, 2011| Leave a Comment »
I’ve written about draped urns before, but I haven’t written about the symbol of drapes or curtains all by themselves. Most people who study cemetery symbolism agree that the depiction of draperies on a tombstone is a symbol of mourning. Into the 20th century, it was customary in the United States to put out black drapes (not just as curtains, but over mantlepieces, furniture, and other decor) during a period of mourning.
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A Grave Concern 