Salt or spice shaker? No inscriptions.

[Chrisjs87]

Anybody have any information on this...shaker? Picked it up in Pennsylvania near Valley Forge.

[bluemlein]

it won't be for salt - salt - NaCl - and silver AgCu* react chemically to form AgCl - silver chloride. silver chloride is light sensitive and goes black - the science behind one of the chemical types of photography. so you would keep the AgCu* away from the NaCl. you won't want to put much spice in there, either, as they also begin to oxidize and lose their flavours.


*even sterling has this formula, in various proportions depending on its being (800, 835, 900, 913 - not technically sterling) 925, 935 and 950

[bijoux.expert]

I've never seen an object like that in France, however I don't believe one can exclude the possibility it was used for salt. The salt would not attack the silver as it would be stored in the glass section and only placed at the last minute on the silver part.

It seems however to be a very silly system for salt; a shaker is so much more convenient and even the small glass cups set in silver with a tiny spoon for distribution are much more practical.

That said, there seems to have always been a demand for pretentious and sometimes more complicated implements for formal dining...

[juantotree]

Maybe a pounce pot?

Martin

[Aguest]

::::: This object reminds me of these little perforated scoops which a lot of people think are nutmeg scoops, or scoops for a spice of some kind, but an antique dealer told me he saw a complete set in a box that had sterling silver corn-on-the-cob stickers so he said this scoop is for scooping butter and the butter would melt a little bit and you could apply the butter to the corn-on-the-cob. :::::::::



::::::: Could the glass jug part have been for collecting butter, which would melt from a pat of butter placed on top of the sterling silver perforated top? ::::::: This could be some sort of short-lived object where you allowed a pat of butter to melt while you sat at the dinner table? :::::::

:::::: Does that make sense or not? :::::

[dragonflywink]

It's part of a mid-20th century silverplate novelty 'sugar & creamer' salt & pepper shaker set (same manufacturer made a 'coffeepot' set):






The other item posted is a salt sifter:




~Cheryl