This design features a soul effigy gravestone rubbing from a gravestone dated 1754, commemorating Timothy Parker (1717–1754), located in the Central Burying Ground in Holliston, Massachusetts. The carving is the work of Joseph Barbur (also recorded as Barber), known as the “Frond Carver of West Medway.” Active from the mid-18th to early 19th century, Barbur was renowned for his lush botanical embellishments—intricate fronds, leaves, and vines—but his soul effigies were remarkably consistent: animated oval faces with almond-shaped eyes, rounded triangular noses, wigs, high collars, long, narrow feathered wings, and a curved lower body which was rarely seen in soul effigy carvings.
The soul effigy marked an evolution in New England funerary art from the mid 1700s to early 1800s. As Puritan influence waned, grim death’s heads (stylized skulls with wings) softened into more human-like figures, signifying a more optimistic view of the soul’s ascent. Popular throughout the Northeast from the mid 1700s to early 1800s, soul effigies varied stylistically by region and carver.
I’ve adapted a vintage gravestone rubbing of this effigy into a silkscreen, then printed it onto speckled gray slipcast stoneware, cast from a vintage mold and glazed for a glossy finish. Available in two sizes, each jar is a contemporary tribute to colonial New England gravestone carving and the enduring memento mori symbolism of the soul effigy.
The larger jar measures approximately 3.5 inches in diameter and 6.5 inches tall with the lid on.
The smaller jar measures approximately 3 inches in diameter and 5.5 inches tall with the lid on.
Please note: Each piece is handmade, and small variations are to be expected. The photos shown are representative of the design, but not the exact jar you will receive—making each item one of a kind.
This design features a soul effigy gravestone rubbing from a gravestone dated 1754, commemorating Timothy Parker (1717–1754), located in the Central Burying Ground in Holliston, Massachusetts. The carving is the work of Joseph Barbur (also recorded as Barber), known as the “Frond Carver of West Medway.” Active from the mid-18th to early 19th century, Barbur was renowned for his lush botanical embellishments—intricate fronds, leaves, and vines—but his soul effigies were remarkably consistent: animated oval faces with almond-shaped eyes, rounded triangular noses, wigs, high collars, long, narrow feathered wings, and a curved lower body which was rarely seen in soul effigy carvings.
The soul effigy marked an evolution in New England funerary art from the mid 1700s to early 1800s. As Puritan influence waned, grim death’s heads (stylized skulls with wings) softened into more human-like figures, signifying a more optimistic view of the soul’s ascent. Popular throughout the Northeast from the mid 1700s to early 1800s, soul effigies varied stylistically by region and carver.
I’ve adapted a vintage gravestone rubbing of this effigy into a silkscreen, then printed it onto speckled gray slipcast stoneware, cast from a vintage mold and glazed for a glossy finish. Available in two sizes, each jar is a contemporary tribute to colonial New England gravestone carving and the enduring memento mori symbolism of the soul effigy.
The larger jar measures approximately 3.5 inches in diameter and 6.5 inches tall with the lid on.
The smaller jar measures approximately 3 inches in diameter and 5.5 inches tall with the lid on.
Please note: Each piece is handmade, and small variations are to be expected. The photos shown are representative of the design, but not the exact jar you will receive—making each item one of a kind.
