Folk Art in Texas Page: 60
203 p. : ill., ports. ; 29 cm.View a full description of this book.
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AT REST: FOLK ART IN TEXAS CEMETERIES
rather than in a cemetery. Dishes, glasses, pots and
pans, razors, money, eyeglasses, and many more ob-
jects are found on the mounded gravesites in the In-
dian cemetery. These "grave goods" are not intended
to be merely ornamental; they are everyday objects
or possessions of the deceased that may be used in
the afterlife. Sometimes the objects are deliberately
broken to release the spirit of the item to join the
spirit in the grave.3 Everyday objects are also found
on gravesites in non-Indian cemeteries. It is especially
common to find toys left on the graves of children,
though they may not be intended for use in the
afterlife.Seashells were previously mentioned as items util-
ized in decorating concrete gravemarkers. Shells are
also a traditional decoration for the gravesite.4 Many
types of shells are used for this purpose: molluscs
from either fresh or salt water such as mussel, clam,
oyster, scallop, or conch. Frequently, shells are ar-
ranged decoratively to cover the entire surface of the
gravesite, which might be mounded as in Figure 12.
Several graves in the Fredericksburg Cemetery have
shells set in the concrete that tops the gravesite
(Figure 13). Seashells are even arranged to form a
cross on top of some gravesites, as has been
observed in the Fredericksburg Cemetery, Bryan City- wrrrrnr
Figure 13. Scalloped seashells are arranged as a border on this
gravesite in the Fredericksburg Cemetery, Gillespie County,
Texas.Figure 12. Shells covering a mounded gravesite in Wixon
Cemetery, Brazos County, Texas.* 60 *
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Folk Art in Texas (Book)
This book describes popular folk art of Texas, including basket weaving, hat-making, yard art, sculptures, murals, cemetery art, quilt-making, tattoo art, and other miscellaneous folk art. The index begins on page 198.
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Abernethy, Francis Edward. Folk Art in Texas, book, 1985; Dallas, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc67647/m1/68/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Press.