Photo credit: M. Ciavardini
I have a penchant for dramatic graveyard art, those winged but bent angels, the weeping women clinging to crosses, the monuments that stretch toward the heavens.
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini
One stone in the Greenridge Cemetery in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.that has me wondering about its bearer’s past is in the shape of a clam shell. This seems like an unusual choice for someone who died in 1864—especially given its upstate New York location. I can imagine clam shell grave markers closer to the coast. How one found its way here is a mystery to me.
—Lori Tripoli
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini
Interested in graveyard art? Consider these posts:
In cemetery iconography, the seashell – more specifically, the scallop – is a symbol of Christian baptism, resurrection, &/or eternity. Once you notice it, you’ll start seeing it in many cemeteries all over the U.S. 🙂 It seems to be often used for children’s markers along with a sleeping cherub.
Thanks for that information, Trish! I didn’t know that. I hadn’t seen the scallop before in a graveyard. I’ll be on the lookout now!
-Lori Tripoli