The sculptor, Isaac Broome, was very well regarded in his day (this monument dates from 1867), and his works may be found in a number of American museums. Old Pa Pitt is not sure what the wand represents, and would be delighted if someone would enlighten him.
3 responses to “Mary L. Lippincott Monument in Allegheny Cemetery”
[…] statue on top is so similar to Isaac Broome’s statue on the Mary J. Lippincott monument that Father Pitt wonders whether this is a copy. Even the base is almost, but not quite, […]
CLEARLY the wand indicates she was a Harry Potter fan.
It’s not a wand, it’s a trumpet — the bottom has broken off. This was a reference to the trumpet angels of the Book of Revelation, who herald the apocalypse, and so is a symbol of resurrection. Though this figure doesn’t have wings, I’ve seen many similar figures holding long, thin trumpets the same way with wings (probably the Lippincott figure was cheaper without them).