What is pleurants?

Pleurants are statues or figurines depicting mourners, usually depicted in a kneeling position and dressed in flowing robes. They were popular in the late medieval and Renaissance periods, particularly in France and Burgundy. Pleurants were often commissioned for tombs of royalty and nobility, and represented the grief and mourning of the deceased's family and friends. They were also believed to assist the deceased by transferring their grief to the pleurants, thus allowing the deceased to rest in peace. Some famous examples of pleurants include the tomb of Philip the Bold in Dijon, France, and the tomb of John the Fearless in Bruges, Belgium.