Crowning the pile of salt on the dining table is a halved pomegranate, two stems of lily of the valley, two fresh gardenias, and two palm branches.  In the Bible, pomegranates are symbols of righteousness.  Shortly before his crucifixion, palm branches were waved at the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  The act was adopted into Christian iconography to represent the victory of martyrs, or the victory of the spirit over the flesh.  Lily of the Valley is a repeated Biblical symbol, and refers to the purity and beauty of Christ.  I used fresh gardenias for their pungent aroma and their fragility.  Their scent lasts only days, and their petals whither and bruise, representing the transitory, delicate human life.