where are my art history books when I need them most?

Yesterday, after work, I took the afternoon and visited the exhibition Primitivos Portugueses, that will be closing next Sunday. The exhibition is about portuguese alterpiece paintings from the 15th and 16th century, where, of course, religious themes prevail. Having studied art history, I felt at ease with most the concepts and painting techniques explained during the visit, that reminded me of the long hours reading art history books and taking notes during Professor Carlos Moura's classes.

When I visit these kind of painting exibitions, where Annunciations, Cruxifitions or Nativity scenes are abundant, what I usually look for are small and interessting everyday objects that highlight and distinguish each painting in it's foreground or background. I was amazed with the following details:

In these scenes, where the Virgin is laying in bed, it was painted in the foreground this arrangement: pomegranate seeds in a bowl with an ivory spoon; small glass jars with a cloth over the top and very small inscriptions. One thing for sure is that, in all religious themed paintings, every object represented has it's own purpose and meaning: 

pomegranate seeds are a symbol associated with the Virgem;

the ivory spoon associated with the african discoveries and the import of ivory products from Benin or Sierra Leoa;

glass jars are in fact jam jars with the recipe written on the cloth covering. Jam is related to the use of sugar that was also an imported product and used as a remedy in convalescent situations.
Interesting, don't you think?