[allmendream]

Notice that John the Baptist is depicted with a shepherds staff and sheep.

[Charles Henrickson]

To have John the Baptist holding a cross and with/pointing to a lamb ("Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!") is not that unusual among artists. Here, for example, is a painting by Matthias Grünewald:

[goat granny]

the child on the left is pointing to the lamb and holding a staff that is a cross over the childs head...(this child is the lamb of God and the cross is symbolic of the redeemer) just my opinion and the flower if you look at it with a magnifying glass does not look like a carnation....similar to what a zinnia looks like...too flat headed to be a carnation...jmho