The pomegranate is the emblem of the Kingdom of Granada, which during the 13th century was merged with the lion of Leon and the castle of Castile, in the long reconquista that produced the Spanish empire.
Granada was the seat of a powerful Moorish emirate, whose palace was the Alhambra, and whose toleration of Jewish scholars and intellectuals made it a center of medieval learning.
Thanks be to Wikipedia for the splendid art.
Manuscript Leaf with Saint James the Greater, from a Book of Hours, Medieval Art
The Friedsam Collection, Bequest of Michael Friedsam, 1931
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Medium: Tempera, ink, and shell gold on parchment
The scallop shell emblem on the arms of Las Californias, is that of St. James, patron of Spain. The backpacks and crossed walking sticks are symbols of the pilgrims heading to his important (i.e., lucrative) shrine at Compostela in Leon. I love the way the artist uses the border to suggest, through subtle perspective, a long and winding road.
The scallop, worn on a cord around the neck, was given to all faithful who completed the pilgrimage. The begging bowl, above the whole scene, reminds us to be charitable, that is, to feel caritas, toward the hungry pilgrims.
The Valley Village View 