mourning draperies

Urn with Mourning Drapery

Mourning draperies were used as decorative symbols on tombstones to signify sorrow.

Before the existence of funeral parlors the body would lay in state in the parlor. It was the custom to cover everything in black. The use of draperies became the style. Some had fancy frills and tassels. They became the expression of mourning. They were used even after burial for a time as a symbol of mourning.