Still-life with stoneware flagon (1637). Walnuts and hazelnuts no doubt had some symbolism now lost to us. They are often shown in Dutch still-life paintings. Oysters, then as now, can be seen as symbols of carnality. Objects similar to the silver cylindrical item on the right of the picture feature in most of Heda's paintings and is a ceremonial salt with a pile of salt crystals on top.

The overturned flagon is made of a very hard type of pottery called stoneware and the beautiful orange-brown speckled glaze is created by throwing salt into the high-temperature oven during the firing process. To achieve the rich colour the underglaze must have a high iron content. The majority of stoneware was manufactured in Germany and it was imported to England in large quantities. A smaller form of the flagon, with a much wider neck, was a very common type of beer mug in English inns (the pint pewter tankard did not make its appearance until the very end of the 17th century).

The popular shell motif is clearly shown here on the glass façon de Venise flagon. The two elaborate clear (cristallo) glasses are also façon de Venise.