Възрожденска надгробна каменна пластика от Еленско
Sepulchlar stone sculpture from the Bulgarian National Revival period from the area around Elena

Summary/Abstract: The paper studies sepulchlar monuments from and around the town of Elena, dated to the Bulgarian National Revival period. The author distinguishes two principal groups, depending on their material, shape and ornamentation. The first group includes monuments in the form of irregular rectangular slabs made of sandstone with sparse ornamentation: linear decoration and a brief inscription (name and year). The second group comprises the crosses made of white limestone, as well as some tombstones made of monolithic stone blocks in the form of a parallelepiped, featuring much richer stone ornamentation: rosettes, stylized trees, bird images and in very rare cases human figures as well. The cross is an invariable element in the decoration. Special attention is also devoted to the inscriptions: the way in which the letters are executed, the dates, their position on the tombstone, etc. By comparing the sculptural monuments belonging to the two groups, the author has reached conclusions about the indisputable artistic qualities of the tombstones from the museum collection in the town of Elena, as well as about their significance for the investigation of artistic folk culture not only in the region of Elena but also throughout the country.

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