Tomb of Max Eberstadt, Willesden Jewish Cemetery (United Synagogue Cemetery)

The Tomb of Max Eberstadt, built in 1891, is located in Willesden Jewish Cemetery and was designed by Edward Burne-Jones. The tomb features a somber ledger slab that adheres to Jewish customs, which typically discourage ostentation in burial, while still showcasing a restrained yet sophisticated design.

The tomb is constructed from stone, now exhibiting a reddish hue, with a central roundel and a band along the south, west, and north edges made of darker grey stone. The decoration and lettering are in lead, although much of the lettering has been lost or displaced.

The tomb is a rectangular ledger with two steps and chamfered edges, resting on a low plinth that bears the maker’s name: ‘MONUMENTAL Co KENSAL GREEN’. Its surface displays an asymmetrical design featuring a large central roundel with a curvilinear motif resembling a cut branch, likely laurel. The inscription wraps around three sides of the tomb, with Hebrew lettering below and English above in Gothic script. Although the inscription is mostly illegible now, design drawings suggest it includes Eberstadt’s name and dates, along with Biblical texts from 1 Samuel 29:6 and Proverbs 27:19. The legible final words on the tomb confirm part of the latter inscription, which reads ‘[...] the heart of man to man’.