Salt thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Silver, Room 67, The Whiteley Galleries

This object consists of 2 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Salt

Artist/Maker
Place of origin

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.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Salt Cellar
  • Spoon for a Salt Cellar
Materials and techniques
Silver, parcel-gilt
Brief description
Silver, London hallmarks for 1979, mark of Jocelyn Burton.

Silver, London hallmarks for 1979, mark of Jocelyn Burton
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.
Style
Summary
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.
Collection
Accession number
M.2&A-1981

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Record createdMarch 3, 2004
Record URL
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