Please complete the form to email this item.

Salt

Salt

  • Place of origin:

    London, England (made)

  • Date:

    1980 (made)
    1979 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Burton, Jocelyn, born 1946 (designer and maker)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Silver, parcel-gilt

  • Museum number:

    M.2&A-1981

  • Gallery location:

    Silver, room 67, case 4, shelf 10

  • Image in copyright

This stylish silver piece, with its matching spoon, is a modern interpretation of a salt cellar. The thin layer of gold on part of the inner surface (parcel-gilt) protects the silver surface from being corroded by the salt. The small snail may well be a reference to the fact that salt is an effective way of eliminating slugs and snails.

Jocelyn Burton (b.1946), who designed and made this piece, opened her own workshop in 1970. The Goldsmiths' Company commissioned her to design a platinum cup for its collections. This cup was the first platinum article to be hallmarked at Goldsmiths' Hall following the introduction of marks for platinum in 1975.

Physical description

The salt cellar is a flattened ovoid with a tear-shaped aperture with an everted lip at one end. This mouth, wide at the tip of the receptacle, narrows towards the top, where it meets a cast and applied silver snail which forms the knob or handle by which the salt cellar is held. The snail is textured in imitation of the natural texture of the animal. The interior of the salt cellar is gilt.
[Salt cellar] Cast silver, parcel-gilt
[Spoon for a salt cellar] Silver, parcel-gilt

Place of Origin

London, England (made)

Date

1980 (made)
1979 (made)

Artist/maker

Burton, Jocelyn, born 1946 (designer and maker)

Materials and Techniques

Silver, parcel-gilt

Marks and inscriptions

[Salt cellar] Base: maker JB for Jocelyn Burton, sterling, leopard, date letter c (1979)

Dimensions

[Salt cellar] Height: 5.0 cm, Length: 11.0 cm, Width: 7.5 cm
[Spoon for a salt cellar] Height: 1 cm, Length: 10 cm, Width: 1.8 cm

Object history note

[Salt cellar] Jocelyn Burton: b. 1946 studied - Sir John Cass Inst., worked in Hatton Gdn. Won Diamonds International Award. 1970 opened workshop (50c Red Lion Street, WC1). Com. by Goldsmiths Hall to make 1st platinum cup since introduction of hallmarks in 1975.
[Spoon for a salt cellar] Spoon belonging to salt with snail decoration M.2-1981. Jocelyn Burton, b. 1946 studied - Sir John Cass Inst., worked in Hatton Garden. Won Diamonds International Award. 1970 opened workshop (50c Red Lion Street, WC1). Com. by Goldsmiths Hall to make 1st platinum cup since introduction of hallmarks in 1975.

Materials

Silver; Gold

Techniques

Gilding; Raising

Subjects depicted

Snail

Categories

Metalwork; Food vessels & Tableware

Collection code

MET

Qr_O94652
Ajax-loader