Columbia, South Carolina

Headstone Sculptures:  In cemeteries, the lion shall lie down with the lamb. Take any cemetery, and there you will find lions and lambs, often buried right next to each other. Cemeteries are among the most conflict-averse places in the world. Elmwood Cemetery. [2016]

Louisville, Kentucky

Headstone Sculptures:  Not just one bird, but three. Is the sculpture a representation of what they could see from their kitchen window? Is it the number of children they brought into this world? Or is it a testimony to Bob Marley: "Every little thing gonna be alright"?  Evergreen Cemetery. [2016]

Meridian, Mississippi

Headstone Sculptures: It should be a seal. (Do you see why?) Instead, it's a horse. Oh, but a seal would be so much more interesting and almost poetic. Rose Hill Cemetery. [2013]

Richmond, Virginia

Headstone Sculptures:  Granite animals are frequently part of the cemetery art world. They do their best to turn graveyards into sculpture gardens, but rarely are they asleep (eve though their owners are). In the past, an animal effigy was needed at a tomb only to serve as a guardian: with eyes wide open. Hollywood Cemetery. [2015]

Linden, New Jersey

Headstone Sculptures:  It's a full size 1982 Mercedes Benz 240 Diesel limousine. Actually, it's not. It's a headstone made of Barre granite. As the story goes, a New Jersey business man promised his nephew a Mercedes Benz, but the young man died before his uncle could fulfill his promise. This is what his nephew got instead. Rosedale Cemetery. [1984]

Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Headstone Sculptures:  Novelty headstones are always a thrill to find, especially when they contradict the uniformity of the surrounding landscape. In cemeteries, tires usually appear on a vehicle (presumably so the interred can make a quick getaway). This time, a symbolic tire stands alone. What story is it trying to tell? Pineview Cemetery. [2012]

Burrillville, Rhode Island

Headstone Sculptures:  Granite slabs are easily transformed into books. In fact, the Book-of-Life idea is fairly widespread across the country.  Unfortunately, granite books can't be opened, but St. Peter will have read every word when you show up at heaven's gate. St. Patrick's Cemetery. [2019]

Bogalusa, Louisiana

Headstone Sculptures:  There is nothing more innocent than a baby lamb, and that is why it is used so often for the graves of infants and children. In this case, the infant was born and died on the same day. What makes this a bit unusual is that we don't know whether the infant was a boy or girl. Chapel Community Church. [2018]

Fort Mitchell, Kentucky

Headstone Sculptures: Do you recognize the resurrected Jesus and his bleeding heart?  "Almighty and everlasting God, look upon the Heart of Thy well-beloved Son and upon the acts of praise and satisfaction which he renders unto Thee in the name of sinners." What an appropriate image and prayer to find in a cemetery named after Jesus' mother! St. Mary's Cemetery. [2017[

Woonsocket, Rhode Island

Headstone Sculptures:  Mourning angels have been denizens of cemetery environments for as long as there have been headstones, from the colonial era to the present. Fine sculpture like this is reflective of the wealth that poured into New England during the era of water-powered textile mills. Today, the mills are gone, but the angels look as timeless as ever. Precious Blood Cemetery. [2019]

Roswell, New Mexico

Headstone Sculptures:  Full-built churches are rare sculptural forms in cemeteries, perhaps because of the intricacy needed to build them, or perhaps because they just don't look like they will last very long. Wouldn't it be fun to design a field of headstones made of Legos? Perhaps you could encase them in a clear polymer. It would add some color to otherwise drab cemetery landscapes. South Park Cemetery. [2016]

San Marcos, Texas

Headstone Sculptures:  Perhaps the most common sculptural form found in American cemeteries is the cross. In this case, one covered in ceramic tiles representative of Hispanic culture. Hays County Cemetery. [2012]

Portland, Maine

Headstone Sculptures:  Lovebirds in spring. In full form they remain for all time: Perhaps the great grandkids will know from the sculpture how much their forebears were in love. It is just so beautiful, how can we possibly classify it as funerary art? Evergreen Cemetery. [2019]

Frankfort, Kentucky

Headstone Sculptures:  Rarely do you see a full body sculpture atop a cemetery memorial (unless it's an angel, of course). Much more common is a photographic etching: in this case, one that shows him behind the wheel. Try bringing the skills of an archaeologist to this grave site: What clues to character do you find in the body language shown in both images? Frankfort Cemetery. [2017]