The Willows of Rome by Joyce
M. Tice - I am illustrating these pages with pictures of tombstone
carved willows, all found in Rome Cemetery. The willow is one of the commonest
of the 19th century tombstone symbols. It is widely believed to be a sign
of mourning - weeping willow. While the symbol itself is common, its diversity
is infinite as each stone carver's style varied with his tastes and skills
and creative need for variety. These illustrations are a sampling of the
tombstone carving project I will eventually be including on this site.
Rome Cemetery is not unusual at all in the diversity of willow carvings
it contains. These examples and more are present throughout the area
(North East U.S.).
