Lunette - Zerubbabel Collins #1 LbNA #37628 (ARCHIVED)
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Jan 16, 2008 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Mansfield |
| County: | Tolland |
| State: | Connecticut |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Planted by: | Nomad Indian Saint  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | explorer88 |
| Last found: | Apr 30, 2013 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFaar |
| Last edited: | Jan 16, 2008 |
Have you ever marveled at the 18 and early 19th century headstones of our ancestors? The colonial burying grounds of New England represent some of the most wondrous carvings and are treasure troves of information and beauty of many kinds. The stones are the “persisting symbols of an art form that is largely indigenous, that reached a high level of abstract complexity and beauty that died away in an amazingly short period of time.”
The term lunette is referred to as the top central area of the stone, the area containing the cherub. Zerubbabel was the talented son of Benjamin Collins and carved his father’s gravestone. His early stones resemble those of his father Benjamin rather closely. Careful study is needed to distinguish some of the latter work of Benjamin and the earliest work of Zerubbabel. Generally these early stones have a bulbous nose, but downs-swept, much smaller wings than those found on stones carved by Benjamin Collins. Zerubbabel also frequently used a peculiar cap-like design on the top of the head of the cherub. Let me take you to one of his carvings.
Old Mansfield Cemetery/Mansfield Center – Mansfield, CT
This is the oldest burying grounds in the town of Mansfield and indeed in Tolland County, dating from 1693 or 1696. It is another of the premier granite burying grounds of Eastern Connecticut and one that must not be missed. The work of a surprising number of carvers is represented for a graveyard of modest size. If you’ve gotten some of my other boxes, you will be able to recognize many of the carvers represented here. There are also many carvers of whom I haven’t covered yet. I could have planted over a dozen letterboxes in this cemetery alone as the stones are so beautiful and well preserved.
At the main gate, 75 degrees and 11 paces you will find 2 stones leaning forward a bit. One of them is in memory of John Storrs and both these stones were carved by Zerubbabel. From here walk east to the stone wall and find a large fir tree with a big split in the middle. Look at the stone wall about 5 feet to the left behind an obvious trap door. Please respect stone walls and be discreet.
The term lunette is referred to as the top central area of the stone, the area containing the cherub. Zerubbabel was the talented son of Benjamin Collins and carved his father’s gravestone. His early stones resemble those of his father Benjamin rather closely. Careful study is needed to distinguish some of the latter work of Benjamin and the earliest work of Zerubbabel. Generally these early stones have a bulbous nose, but downs-swept, much smaller wings than those found on stones carved by Benjamin Collins. Zerubbabel also frequently used a peculiar cap-like design on the top of the head of the cherub. Let me take you to one of his carvings.
Old Mansfield Cemetery/Mansfield Center – Mansfield, CT
This is the oldest burying grounds in the town of Mansfield and indeed in Tolland County, dating from 1693 or 1696. It is another of the premier granite burying grounds of Eastern Connecticut and one that must not be missed. The work of a surprising number of carvers is represented for a graveyard of modest size. If you’ve gotten some of my other boxes, you will be able to recognize many of the carvers represented here. There are also many carvers of whom I haven’t covered yet. I could have planted over a dozen letterboxes in this cemetery alone as the stones are so beautiful and well preserved.
At the main gate, 75 degrees and 11 paces you will find 2 stones leaning forward a bit. One of them is in memory of John Storrs and both these stones were carved by Zerubbabel. From here walk east to the stone wall and find a large fir tree with a big split in the middle. Look at the stone wall about 5 feet to the left behind an obvious trap door. Please respect stone walls and be discreet.