Bell Salt
1599-1600 (hallmarked)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Salt was a symbol of purity in the 16th century and was held in often beautiful and elaborate containers also known as salts. This ceremonial salt, known as a ‘bell salt’, can be broken down into three sections comprising two salt cellars and a small caster. Bell salts superseded the more imposing drum salts and pedestal salts, for both decorative and domestic purposes, by the end of the 16th century. While the earliest surviving bell salts date to the 1590s, inventories show that they were in use long before this date.
This piece is an example of 16th century domestic silver. Such silver was both functional and ornamental. Objects for dining and drinking took elegant forms and were decorated in the latest styles. Beautifully crafted items intended only for display often adopted functional forms such as cups and dishes. Domestic silver was not confined to the most wealthy. Many people owned silver spoons or mounted vessels, items which often became treasured possessions.
Sir Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert began collecting in the 1960s and over a period of 40 years formed one of the world’s great private collections of decorative arts. The collection consists of over 800 objects from the fields of European gold and silver, Italian mosaics and hardstone, portrait enamels and gold boxes. Sir Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996 to be housed at Somerset House, London, having previously been displayed at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). In 2008 the collection was moved to dedicated galleries in the V&A, where a selection has been on permanent display ever since.
This piece is an example of 16th century domestic silver. Such silver was both functional and ornamental. Objects for dining and drinking took elegant forms and were decorated in the latest styles. Beautifully crafted items intended only for display often adopted functional forms such as cups and dishes. Domestic silver was not confined to the most wealthy. Many people owned silver spoons or mounted vessels, items which often became treasured possessions.
Sir Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert began collecting in the 1960s and over a period of 40 years formed one of the world’s great private collections of decorative arts. The collection consists of over 800 objects from the fields of European gold and silver, Italian mosaics and hardstone, portrait enamels and gold boxes. Sir Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996 to be housed at Somerset House, London, having previously been displayed at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). In 2008 the collection was moved to dedicated galleries in the V&A, where a selection has been on permanent display ever since.
Object details
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Object type | |
Parts | This object consists of 4 parts.
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Materials and techniques | Parcel-gilt silver cast, chased, and pierced |
Brief description | Silver, parcel-gilt, London hallmarks 1599-1600 |
Physical description | Partially gilded bell salt which can be broken down into three parts, the lower two forming tapered, waisted saltcellars chased with inverted overlapping half circles, the upper part forming a small, bell-shaped caster with a pierced round finial. |
Dimensions |
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Marks and inscriptions |
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Gallery label | (Gallery 70, case 1)
16. Bell salt, 1599–1600
London, England; maker’s mark a wine skin tied at the neck
Partially gilded silver
Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.584:1 to 4-2008(16/11/2016) |
Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
Object history | Provenance Acquired by Arthur Gilbert from S.J. Phillips Ltd, London, 1987. |
Production | Maker's mark a wine skin tied at the neck. |
Summary | Salt was a symbol of purity in the 16th century and was held in often beautiful and elaborate containers also known as salts. This ceremonial salt, known as a ‘bell salt’, can be broken down into three sections comprising two salt cellars and a small caster. Bell salts superseded the more imposing drum salts and pedestal salts, for both decorative and domestic purposes, by the end of the 16th century. While the earliest surviving bell salts date to the 1590s, inventories show that they were in use long before this date. This piece is an example of 16th century domestic silver. Such silver was both functional and ornamental. Objects for dining and drinking took elegant forms and were decorated in the latest styles. Beautifully crafted items intended only for display often adopted functional forms such as cups and dishes. Domestic silver was not confined to the most wealthy. Many people owned silver spoons or mounted vessels, items which often became treasured possessions. Sir Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert began collecting in the 1960s and over a period of 40 years formed one of the world’s great private collections of decorative arts. The collection consists of over 800 objects from the fields of European gold and silver, Italian mosaics and hardstone, portrait enamels and gold boxes. Sir Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996 to be housed at Somerset House, London, having previously been displayed at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). In 2008 the collection was moved to dedicated galleries in the V&A, where a selection has been on permanent display ever since. |
Bibliographic reference | Schroder, Timothy. The Gilbert collection of gold and silver (supplement). Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1988, cat. no. B. |
Other numbers |
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Collection | |
Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.584:1 to 3-2008 |
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Record created | June 26, 2008 |
Record URL |
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