The Knight's Dream (detail)
by PEREDA, Antonio de, Oil on wood
Objects of vanity are books, music, coins, jewellery, weapons and a mask (as a symbol of Thalia - the theatre). These are all considered futile. Transience is symbolized by two skulls - one of them rolled over so that we can see inside - as well as by a burnt candle and a clock. The flowers in the vase, too, are symbols of vanity.