Sweet fruit. In answer to a question we had in a post about the use of the pineapple as a symbol in Williams-Sonoma's new furniture catalogue, we found more positive feedback on the pineapple than the furniture. While the furniture was thrashed as unoriginal and expensive, the pineapple was revealed as a European welcoming symbol starting with it's first introduction by Columbus in 1493.
We love this stuff.
Completely unique and never seen before, "popularity [of this Caribbean fruit] grew both in European circles and in the American colonies. Since sweets and fresh fruit were rare, the pineapple became a coveted item of the wealthy."
Trotted out for guests like Lutefisk in Norway or Salmon in Japan, the pineapple graduated from truth to symbol, representing good cheer, graciousness and money. No wonder, Chuck Williams chose this for his catalogue. It fits aspirational spending. (Can we use the word "directional" here?) (Thanks to all commenters!) MGR
though its been too many years since my baroque rome class in college to remember, the pineapple was also used in copious amounts on facades of various buildings and scultptural elements in rome...i have a vague recollection of gianlorenzo bernini using one somewhere in a plaza...
My ex-roommate from Taiwan claims that pineapples are traditional Chinese housewarming presents - to the extent that they grow special pineapples which last longer to give as gifts. It's supposed to bring good luck to the household.
I was recently in New Orleans and went on a tour of an old plantation several miles north of the city. The guide told us that since it was quite an arduous carriage ride from N.O. to the plantation, oftentimes guests would stay for a long period of time. When the host decided it was time for the guest to leave he would place a pineapple in the guests' room. Both guest and host knew the meaning..."it was nice having you, now it is time for you to go."
I've always loved Colonial Williamsburg's use of the pineapple in Christmas decorations and nearly everything else they can get their hands on. The link below is to CW's extensive rumination on the pineapple motif. (It claims the pineapple-like Roman ornaments were pine cones.)
http://www.history.org/christmas/dec_pineapple.html