AN EDWARD VII SILVER BELL-SALT

Double bell-shaped salts developed from single bell-shaped examples in the mid 16th century and are recorded in inventories of the time, such as that taken at Hardwick Hall in 1601, with only about thirty examples having survived. In medieval England, the salt historically held a prominent position in the display plate of Royal and aristocratic households. Placed on the table rather than the buffet it had both ceremonial, religious and practical significance. This object came to epitomise the Tudor period and as such were very sought after by the Victorian and Edwardian collectors leading to the manufacture of historicist pieces.