View of gravestone commemorating John Musfard, 1818, with winged soul, lion headed panel with sock and coulter of a plough, 'Memento Mori' ribbon, skull, crossed bones and coffin, in the churchyard of ...

Description View of gravestone commemorating John Musfard, 1818, with winged soul, lion headed panel with sock and coulter of a plough, 'Memento Mori' ribbon, skull, crossed bones and coffin, in the churchyard of Forgandenny Parish Church.

Date 1985

Collection Papers of Betty Willsher, historian, St Andrews, Scotland

Catalogue Number SC 2234659

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of A 7869

Scope and Content The mounted print record the name as 'John Musfard'. Gravestone of John Mustard, Forgandenny Parish Church and Burial-Ground, Perth & Kinross This gravestone features a central cartouche surrounded by scrolling leaves and a lion mask. In the centre is caved the sock and coulter (metal parts) of a plough, the emblem of a farmer. The top of the stone features a winged soul (symbol of the spirit ascending to Heaven after death) with a halo and long, curled hair, below a pediment with rosette ornaments. At the base of the stone is an inscribed scroll, a skull, crossed bones and a coffin, all emblems of death. The majority of Scottish gravestones place the image of the soul at the top of the stone, and emblems of death at the bottom. This is partly a compositional device, as winged soul heads fit neatly into the arched tympanum (top part) of the stone, but on a symbolic level, it shows the human spirit triumphing over death. This gravestone commemorates John Mustard, who died in 1818. It is inscribed: 'Erected by/William Mustard in memo/ry of his Father John Mustard/Farmer in Broombarns who died/Nov 17 1818 aged 78 years'. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/2234659

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap