Pomegranate Jars
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Artists Unknown, Pomegranate Jars, c 1280-1080 bce (Dynasty 19-20) and c 1180-1080 bce (Dynasty 20), Egyptian. Glass. Left, Height, 6.8 cm; diameter, 5.8 cm. Right, Height, 12 cm; diameter, 7.9 cm. Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum Art (http://www.metmuseum.org/home.asp), New York, NY; Rogers Fund, 1944 (44.4.52) (left) and Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1926 (26.7.1180) (right). Photograph © The Metropolitan Museum Art.
The pomegranate, it seems, has been around for at least as long as mankind itself, serving, appropriately enough, as both scapegoat and benefactor: whereas its multisyllabic name rolls deliciously off the tongue, its tartness puckers the mouth. Touted as a therapeutic agent since ancient times, it has also been blamed for all the ills of mankind, from Eve's fateful choice in the Garden of Eden to Persephone's decision in Pluto's underworld.
On the other hand, the pomegranate also became a prominent symbol of human fertility: when it is …
