Monday Mourning ~ Symbolism

This amazing pillar is full of symbolic funerary images and was one of four that stood at the corners of a memorial in the Zorgflied cemetery in Amsterdam.

The inverted Torch is a purely funerary symbol and it comes in two forms. The first one, shows a torch that is alight, indicating that even in death, the soul ~ the flames of fire ~ continue to burn brightly in another realm of existence. The second inverted torch, that which bears no flame, simply shows a life that is extinguished.

At the top of the column, the winged hourglass reminds us that time is fleeting, as the sands of time ceaselessly ebb away from one sphere of life to another. The wings further remind us of 'how time flies'.

Inside the circular carvings on the scrolls, are Butterflies that relate to it's three stages of life. With the caterpillar representing 'life', the chrysalis is for 'death' and the butterfly is ultimately 'resurrection'.

The Ouroboros ~ a snake biting or eating it's own tail ~ is a symbol of eternity, immortality and rejuvenation.

The Scallop Shell symbolises a journey or pilgrimage and is also a symbol of baptism, specifically the Baptism of Christ.

The Shell's association with the element of water, is seen as a female/goddess energy in some cultures and because the shell many contain a pearl, is considered as lucky and a sign of prosperity. 

I shall be featuring a blog on this splendid monument in the near future.

Friday's Funerary Art ~ Ceramics

Wil Oliemans

7-4-1947  15-3-2003

I love these ceramics butterflies, as they look quite cheerful in a place that is not often associated with joy .........

The modern part of Zorgvlied cemetery in Amsterdam, has many graves such as this one, where it appears that the grieving are reminded of the 'life' of their loved ones, rather than a place that generally represents their sense of sorrow and loss. I think that it makes Zorgvlied a more welcoming place for the visitor and it appears to offer an opportunity to reflect upon the pleasant aspects of life that they may have shared together instead.

I also liked the idea that in time when the lease on this plot has expired, the butterflys could be removed and passed down to the surviving family members to be used in a decorative way, unlike a traditional headstone that is only ever used for it's sole purpose and cannot be re-cycled.

The Butterfly's funerary symbolism, relates to it's three stages of life. With the caterpillar representing 'life', the chrysalis is for 'death' and the butterfly is ultimately 'resurrection'.

  

Circus Director's Masoleum

The masoleum of Circus Director Oscar Carré 1846-1911, was designed in the neo-classical style by Ross and Vuyk in 1891. It was built for his first wife Amalia Salamonski who died in May 1891. Oscar himself died in 1911 on a tour through Denmark in Copenhagen. But because the masouleum was not prepared for him, his body was buried for a year in the Great Church of Copenhagen before arriving in it's final resting place inside the masoleum.

The floors and walls of the interior have decorative motifs and a marble bust of Amalia Salamonski, by Henri J. Teixeira de Mattos. 

The Butterflies that adorn the tops of the Columns, represent Resurrection.

Oscar Carre and Edith Maud Adams-Carre

Oscar Carré founded of the famous Royal Theatre Carré in Amsterdam and even though the theatre has progressed from a Circus Arena to a world renowned theatre, a main attraction is still the annual Christmas Circus.