Daily AncestorTrumpeting angel
A trumpeting angel on a gravestone is the call to the Resurrection, the trumpet that wakes the dead on the last day.
An angel blowing a horn calls the dead to rise. It is among the angel types on 18th century stones, carved as the imagery turned from mortality toward resurrection.
An angel with a horn may be meant as Gabriel; an angel with a sword is Michael. Without either object it is simply an angel. The trumpet says the family expected the dead to rise again.
As seen in a recordNew England or New Jersey burying ground, 1740 to 1820
Angel blowing a trumpet in the arch: Sacred to the memory of Mrs. Lois Fennimore, who died Jany 30 1797. Arise ye dead
Sources
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Daily Ancestor. "Trumpeting angel." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/gravestone-symbols/trumpeting-angel. Last checked 2026-10-15.