Partially concealed by a green brocade curtain, a silver crucifix looks out at the two ambassadors. Like other objects in "The Ambassadors," the crucifix has multiple meanings. The table between the two ambassadors contains numerous symbols of advanced scientific knowledge and human achievement. Perhaps the crucifix is there to remind us that salvation is the true goal of human life. It may also be included as a warning that Christ will be the final judge of the ambassadors, their mission and the religious crisis brewing in the Catholic Church. And finally, the crucifix is one of the four symbols Holbein painted to remind us of the transience of human endeavors.