During the Victorian era, particularly in the New World, head-stones took on an artistic and ornamental focus meant to memorialize and give tribute to the life of the deceased. These stones were decorated with symbolic carvings of items like angels, anchors, roses and animals. The grave symbol example on the left was used for descendants of the American Revolutionary War veterans who belonged to to a fraternal society called "Sons of the American Revolution."
To see examples of other symbols that might be seen particularly on older grave stones, click on the "Read More" tab below.
To see examples of other symbols that might be seen particularly on older grave stones, click on the "Read More" tab below.
 Handshake - A handshake symbol on a tombstone usually signifies a welcome into the heavenly world. Sometimes you may see this as a symbol of matrimony on the grave marker of a married couple. If it’s a marriage symbol you may notice that one cuff will look masculine and the other, feminine. |  Leaving Pebbles or Stones on a Grave- The Jewish tradition of leaving a pebble or stone on top of a tombstone signifies that someone has honored the deceased person’s memory with a visit to the grave. A nice example of this is shown at the end of the movie Schindler’s List. To see more symbols and their meaning Click Here |