Salt Spoon
ca. 1863 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
Small condiment spoons for serving salt and mustard evolved gradually from about 1730 onwards. As more salt cellars for the use of individual guests appeared on dining tables, it was more polite and elegant for guests to use spoons rather than their fingers or the point of a knife to take salt and put it on their plates.
Design & Designing
Salt spoons, especially those made before the 19th century, can be shovel or shell-shaped. This salt spoon, however, is of a miniature ladle style with a wide, deep bowl and curved handle. The ladle style became popular from about 1780.
Manufacturer
The salt spoon was perhaps made by the manufacturers Samuel Roberts and Charles Belk of Sheffield, Yorkshire. One of the specialities of the firm was the production of spoons and forks.
Small condiment spoons for serving salt and mustard evolved gradually from about 1730 onwards. As more salt cellars for the use of individual guests appeared on dining tables, it was more polite and elegant for guests to use spoons rather than their fingers or the point of a knife to take salt and put it on their plates.
Design & Designing
Salt spoons, especially those made before the 19th century, can be shovel or shell-shaped. This salt spoon, however, is of a miniature ladle style with a wide, deep bowl and curved handle. The ladle style became popular from about 1780.
Manufacturer
The salt spoon was perhaps made by the manufacturers Samuel Roberts and Charles Belk of Sheffield, Yorkshire. One of the specialities of the firm was the production of spoons and forks.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Electroplated nickel silver |
| Brief description | Electroplated nickel silver salt spoon, possibly manufactured by Samuel Roberts and Charles Belk, Sheffield, ca. 1863. |
| Physical description | Spoon with rounded bowl on Fiddle pattern handle. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | On back of handle: R&B in an oval, an Aladdin's lamp in a square, letter s in square, C or JP in square, A in shield. |
| Gallery label | British Galleries:
SALT CELLARS AND SPOONS Solid silver salt cellars feature in the Mappin Brothers catalogue of 1897. They came in sets of 4 or 6, including salt spoons, and were presented in a Morroco leather case. For a richly chased pattern, the price for a set of 4 was £4 15s (£4.75p), for a set of 6, £7. According to the cookery writer, Mrs Beeton, '....there should be a salt cellar between every two persons. Unless silver salt cellars are used, the glass ones should match the rest of the service. '(27/03/2003) |
| Credit line | Given by Helen Werner |
| Object history | Possibly manufactured by Samuel Roberts and Charles Belk, Sheffield |
| Summary | Object Type Small condiment spoons for serving salt and mustard evolved gradually from about 1730 onwards. As more salt cellars for the use of individual guests appeared on dining tables, it was more polite and elegant for guests to use spoons rather than their fingers or the point of a knife to take salt and put it on their plates. Design & Designing Salt spoons, especially those made before the 19th century, can be shovel or shell-shaped. This salt spoon, however, is of a miniature ladle style with a wide, deep bowl and curved handle. The ladle style became popular from about 1780. Manufacturer The salt spoon was perhaps made by the manufacturers Samuel Roberts and Charles Belk of Sheffield, Yorkshire. One of the specialities of the firm was the production of spoons and forks. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.48-2000 |
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| Record created | September 21, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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