Rose

Early carvers used stylized rosettes, and Victorian ones carved realistic roses. The beauty meant here is goodness of soul and of the life someone led, not good looks. A rose in full bloom usually marks a grown person, and very often a woman.

Some guides say the stage of the flower hints at age: a bud for a child, a half-open rose for a teenager, a full bloom for someone in the prime of life. Treat that as a tendency, not a rule. Two roses and a bud can mean parents and child.