Pomegranates: The Most Exquisite Fruit

The pomegranate is quite the majestic fruit. It has held divine and regal symbolism throughout history. It appears in many Greek myths, and has its fair share of notable mentions in Jewish and Christian scriptures as well. Some scholars believe the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden was more likely intended to be depicted as a pomegranate instead of an apple. The capitals of the two pillars that stood in front of Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem were engraved with pomegranates. The pomegranate calyx is shaped like a crown and in Jewish tradition it is believed to be where the design for the crown originated. It’s hard not to associate the fruit with majesty and beauty. 

From Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray: “..For a whole year, he sought to accumulate the most exquisite specimens that he could find of textile and embroidered work…He possessed a gorgeous cope of crimson silk and gold-thread damask, figured with a repeating pattern of golden pomegranates set in six-petalled formal blossoms…” Exquisite indeed. 

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