The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-20
6. Deschler, " R';tr''-
EVOLUTION OF TOMBSToNES.

word itself, is of unmistaKable derivation.
But it is a far cry from the proud granite
and marble monuments of the present day
to the tumulus or heap of earth with which
the primitive races covered their dead. That
there was never a time, so far as is known,
when nations omitted to erect memorials to
their dead is a great evidence of the i'm
pershability of personal individuality. For
whether it were the patriarchs sepulchre
the Latin tumulus, the Greek and Aztec
urn or the ''barrows" of the ancient Britons
it was memorial to the concrete form and
attributes of a single man, proclaiming that
as such he had visibly existed, and so de-
nying dissolution into nothingness.
1t is granted then, that the marking of
graves has always been customary. but it
may be questioned if. even after stone and
lead collins and slabs came into general use,
there was any distinct trade of stonemasons
or engravers. 1t must have been first the
work of a mans own clan or family, and
after that, so far as history tells US, of the
ruder laborers. The painting on the walls
Of mummies' tombs belongs to a different
art With the advance of civilization, how
ever skill in handling stone became more
and more a speciality.
In ancient Rome the erection Of monu-
ments to the dead was almost universal, but
not always over the spot of burial. They
were also usually inscribed with an cpl
taphium. consisting of the name of the de-
ceased and something of his life and char
acter. But Rome was near the NcenIer of
art culture, where sculpture first reached
It's pinnacle of excellence, and the sculptors
proper were employed in carving tcmbs.
This was true of Britain at later Gay.
In England the earliest monuments Of the
Norman period were merely stone collins,
with ridge-shaped lid let down into the
ground no lower than their own depth The
covering stone remained visible. and was
sometimes plain and sometimes carved with
an inscription around the edge, or with
crosses, which were of great antiquity
decorations. If the stone coffin was left
above ground the sides were often sculp-
tured. In the eighth century one of the
first instances Of head and foot stones oc-
CURED in the tomb of bishop two carved
crosses being erected at each extremity.
Following these rude efforts came the
sculptured upright effigy Of the deceased in
low relief. The holder style of half relief
was adopted in the twelfth century, Most
of those which remained to a later age
were collins of ecclesiastical dignitares, cEd
there was little variety in the manner Of
treatment. The figures were usually made
1t with the pastoral staff or crosier. An
outgrowth of this style, two angels sup
porting the eff1gy's head and canopy, was
introduced at this period and eliminated
four hundred years later in the catafalque.
1t was in the thirteenth century also that
full recumbent efigies were first used for
tomb decoration. The first executed in
England was done for King John.
Sculpture as an art had been introduced
into England with Roman architecture. But
among twenty trades boosted in 1919 by
Colchester, a large trading center, there is
no mention of marble or Stonecutting. 1t
may be inferred, then, that the. scuiptors
account for Flaxman's admiration for many
Of the monumental SculptorS of that period.
.Athough they are III drawn ana deficient at
is a beautiful simplicity, an irresistible
sentiment, and sometimes a, grace exceling
mere modern productions" And the small
bronze statues surrounding the altar tomb
of the Earl Of Warwick were said to have
Sculpture of which DonateIi and Ghiberti
were the contemporaneous opponents.
In the first half of the seventeenth CEN
son to the King, and whose name would,
seem to certify his fitness for the calling,
was the first artisan of the transition from
ancient to modern styles in monumental
composition. All English sculptures previ-
Gus to those of Herbert LIE Soeur, who ar
rived in 1880, were for monumental pur-
poses After this sculptors proper and
stone-cutters simple were probably recog-
nized as two distinct classes, as it is during
the first twenty years of the century that
we find the mention of stone-cutting in the
trades. AS a consequence OF this division
of labor the effigieS of the dead were subse-
quently omitted or kept subordinate to the
monuments, which took more and more the
pyramidal shape.
placing of monuments which has come
down through the ages with less change
was that of buryIng with the dead or heap
ing on their graves what things they held
most valuable in life. In some countries
this was represented by mans widow. who
Vfo6 oil i've nr7h nj in
others his gold and jewels We're inferred
with him. At the present time one may still
find graves in our large cemeteries covered
with trophies-perhaps little child's grave
with doll or a rocking chair which it had
loved. 1t is in reference to this custom no
doubt that Emerson speaks in his poem
beginning with the figure:
''Set not thy foot on graves
Care not to strip the dead
OF his sad ornament,
His myrrh, and wine, and rings,
His sheet of lead
And trophies buried"
In respect to ordinary gravestones, how
ever, customs are greatly different. The
best monuments are now made of granite
and marble Granite, which is difficult 10
handle is expensive, but durable. 1t can
not be cut like the majority of stones with
saws, but is first worked with large ham
mers and then with pointed chisels. The
Egyptians worked and polished this stone
in way we cannot excel. and the ancient
Peruvians also cut granite. though they
had to cur modern understanding, strangely
inadequate tools
The present process of preparing stones
for the cemeteries is very interesting On
November morning the sun shines into the
marble yard gladly. The air is full of the
crash and noise of steel tools and the fine
marble or stone dust that flies from under
their blows The foreman sings in a big
bass voice as he takes turn at hammer or
chisel the hands joke each other across
their work, and all this life and energy at
trained labor is spent in preparation Tor |
somebody's death. 1t is the mockery of the
tragic trades''-the underwriters stone
carvers and hangmen-that they shall ne
pursued by cheerful noise and hustle. And
The cheerfulest Of all. perhaps. in his de-
pendence upon dying humanity for living /
is the stone-cutter.
In an ordinary firm dealing liz MONUMENTS /
there is front or show room In width the /
shaped and finished stones are kept until
sold. Back " thia Is the ..anQp.m NheEa the