Not currently on display at the V&A

Salt Cellar

ca. 1810 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The inconvenience of a central standing salt receptacle at the dining table encouraged the development in the early 17th century of much smaller salt cellars which were set near individual place settings.

Sheffield plate originated, with the discovery in 1742, that bars of silver and copper, in unequal proportions, fused by heating under pressure, could be rolled into sheets of laminated metal and worked like silver. The industry this material created flourished for about 100 years until superseded by electroplating in the 1840s.

The pierced decoration on this Sheffield plate salt cellar was stamped using a fly press. Fly presses contained a shaped punch which pressed out patterns in silver-plated copper, in place of the fretsaw traditionally used by silversmiths to cut patterns out of silver sheet. The sawing of plated objects tended to disturb the thin layer of silver and expose the edge of the copper beneath the silver plate. By contrast, as the fly press pierced the plate metal, it also ingeniously dragged the top layer of silver over the edge of the copper joining it to the layer of silver on the underside and thereby concealing the cut copper edge.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Sheffield plate
Brief description
One of a pair of salt cellars, Sheffield plate, ca. 1810
Physical description
Oblong, with curved reeded rim and ribbed handles at the ends, four paw feet.
Dimensions
  • Height: 5.23cm
  • Width: 10.8cm
Style
Production typeMass produced
Credit line
Mrs M. D. Chaplin Gift
Production
Reason For Production: Retail
Summary
The inconvenience of a central standing salt receptacle at the dining table encouraged the development in the early 17th century of much smaller salt cellars which were set near individual place settings.

Sheffield plate originated, with the discovery in 1742, that bars of silver and copper, in unequal proportions, fused by heating under pressure, could be rolled into sheets of laminated metal and worked like silver. The industry this material created flourished for about 100 years until superseded by electroplating in the 1840s.

The pierced decoration on this Sheffield plate salt cellar was stamped using a fly press. Fly presses contained a shaped punch which pressed out patterns in silver-plated copper, in place of the fretsaw traditionally used by silversmiths to cut patterns out of silver sheet. The sawing of plated objects tended to disturb the thin layer of silver and expose the edge of the copper beneath the silver plate. By contrast, as the fly press pierced the plate metal, it also ingeniously dragged the top layer of silver over the edge of the copper joining it to the layer of silver on the underside and thereby concealing the cut copper edge.
Associated object
Collection
Accession number
M.607-1936

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Record createdFebruary 17, 2004
Record URL
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