Impossible to view the inclusion of pomegranates in paintings without an eye out for its highly muddled symbolism of fertility, abundance, contraception and loss of fecundity, death and resurrection – via various casually googled sources.
– The pomegranate is the symbol of Armenia and represents fertility, abundance and marriage. For example, the fruit played an integral role in a wedding custom widely practiced in ancient Armenia: a bride was given a pomegranate fruit, which she threw against a wall, breaking it into pieces. Scattered pomegranate seeds ensured the bride future children.
– Modern testing has shown that pomegranate does have contraceptive effects. However the effectiveness has varied between species, in two studies sited pomegranate reduced fertility in female rats by 50% and in female guinea pigs by an impressive 100%. This does not mean that pomegranate will have the same effect in women, but the possibility for a reduction in fertility defiantly exists. Both animal types regained their fertility forty days after they stopped receiving pomegranate.
– Ancient Egyptians regarded the pomegranate as a symbol of prosperity and ambition
– Animal studies have shown that pomegranate may be an effective abortifacient.
– It is traditional to consume pomegranates on Rosh Hashana because, with its numerous seeds, it symbolizes fruitfulness
– The ancient forefathers of medicine, Hippocrates, Soranus, Dioscorides, to name a few, prescribed the seeds and rind of the pomegranate to prevent conception.
– The mythology of ancient Greece regarded this fruit as the symbol of life, marriage and rebirth in the abduction story of Persephone by Hades, the god of the underworld.
– In Ancient Greek mythology, the pomegranate was known as the “fruit of the dead”, and believed to have sprung from the blood of Adonis
– The fruit, broken or bursting open, is a symbol of the fullness of Jesus’ suffering and resurrection.
– Some Jewish scholars believe that it was the pomegranate, not the apple, that was the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden
– In some Hindu traditions, the pomegranate (Hindi: anār) symbolizes prosperity and fertility, and is associated with both Bhoomidevi (the earth goddess) and Lord Ganesha (the one fond of the many-seeded fruit).
– The Tamil name maadulampazham is a metaphor for a woman’s mind. It is derived from, maadhu=woman, ullam=mind, which means as the seeds are hidden, it is not easy to decipher a woman’s mind.
JANINE SHROFF 
Love pomegranate, the picnic and this post. Thanks and keep it coming… :]
Thanks Nash! I was just thinking today i need to on occasion write more on here. News feeds are otherwise so dull. :). Glad you liked it