The Meaning of Early Gravestone Art:
| Anchors and ships: |
The seafaring profession |
| Arches: |
Victory in death |
| Arrows: |
Mortality |
| Bouquets: |
Condolences, grief |
| Buds: |
Renewal of life |
| Bugles: |
The resurrection and the military |
| Candle being snuffed: |
Time, mortality |
| Coffins: |
Mortality |
| Crossed swords: |
High-ranking military person |
| Darts: |
Mortality |
| Doves: |
The soul, purity |
| Father Time: |
Mortality, the grim reaper |
| Flowers: |
Brevity of early existence, sorrow |
| Flying birds: |
Flight of the soul |
| Fruits: |
eternal plenty |
| Garlands: |
Victory in death |
| Imps: |
Mortality |
| Hand of God Chopping: |
Sudden death |
| Handshake: |
Farewell to earthly existence |
| Hearts: |
The soul in bliss, love of Christ |
| Horns: |
The resurrection |
| Hourglass: |
Swiftness of time |
| Lambs: |
Innocence |
| Picks and shovels: |
Mortality |
| Portals: |
Passageway to the eternal journey |
| Roses: |
The brevity of earthly existence |
| Sheaves of Wheat: |
Time, the divine harvest |
| Shells: |
The pilgrimage of life |
| Suns: |
The resurrection |
| Thisles: |
Remembrance |
| Tombs: |
Mortailty |
| Trees: |
Life |
| Trumpeters: |
Heralds of the resurrection |
| Willows: |
Earthly sorrow |
| Winged Death's head: |
Mortality |
| Winged Effigies: |
The flight of the soul |
|
