Your Critique Please

The following image was made with something specific in mind as a message, but showing it to others for comment showed that totally different interpreatations could be put on it. Just out of interest, please interpret/critique the image and later I'll tell you what the original intent was. It might reveal something about how we all weigh up and view an image.

This image suggests to me that it's probably intended to represent aspects of the legal profession, perhaps a publicity shot for a firm of solicitors, to use in promotional literature.

The encyclopaedias imply a "fountain of knowledge", whilst the skull (the upper cranium) implies a readily-accessible "storage medium" for that knowledge, The gavel, pure and simple, implies the connection with the legal profession.

Lawyers will strip you to the bone

A gavel and cramming lots of knowledge will give you a nasty headache?

Seriously though, not quite sure of interpretation. Words that spring to mind are judging, knowledge, history, archaeology, human, death all spring to mind - but I don't see an easy connection between them all.

Matt

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing?

question...
your choice on lighting....
with a basic set of props, and a basic composition, and simple (yet technically perfect) lighting set up...
I'm wondering if lighting it differently to create "mood" could invoke a more directed response from the viewer?
or was your choice on lighting meant to leave the mood of the image open to interpretation?

others already covered the basics on meaning that popped into my mind, so I'm asking about the lighting..

Gavels are also used by autioneers/chairmen of meetings/etc.

Knowledge can be passed to another (generation)

regards
Bernard

Thanks so far, I'll answer the questions later on if that's OK, it will give anyone else a chance to find some alternative ideas.

Now, what am I bid for the remains of poor Yorick ..... ?

Hmmm something about not judging people by the history books ?

Orrr something about cold cases ? (but then again there is nothing here about murder)

First thing that popped into my head (before reading any other comments)

'Knowledge is power'.....:

I thought it was a warning to Encyclopaedia Britannica salesmen.

Dont tell us you legaly killed him with the gravel!!!
My first thoughts before having thoughts corrupted by reading other coment was that of, `Times Up`

Et in Arcadia ego?