Salt cellar

Object Type
Salt was a precious commodity in the 16th century and salts cellars for use at the table were often elaborately decorated. As salt was derived from the sea, seashells and dolphins were thought to be appropriate decorative elements.

People
Horace Walpole, the 4th Earl of Orford, was renowned for his antiquarian interest and his collection of antiques which he partly amassed himself during his trips abroad. In the Great North Bedchamber of his house, Strawberry Hill, Walpole kept a collection of china, snuff boxes and curios. The guide book to the house of 1774 describes 'A salt cellar of the finest old fayence [tin-glazed earthenware] supported by dolphins'. Walpole's salt, which was sold with the contents of the house in 1843, fits the description of this piece which was acquired by the Museum in 1863, but it is not certain that it is the very same object.

Materials & Making
Tin-glazed earthenware, which could be painted in many different bright colours, was known in Italy as 'maiolica'. Urbino was a famous centre for the manufacture of maiolica. This salt cellar was made with the aid of moulds, which made it possible to shape series of objects relatively cheaply.