Salt Cellar

Accession Number1989.002.0004a

VesselNuestra Señora de Atocha (1622)

Datecirca 1600

DescriptionA silver gilt salt cellar, or standing salt, recovered from the wreck of the 1622 galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha. In the seventeenth century salt was a valuable commodity, and it was presented at the table in a manner that reflected its worth. This domed stand has a removable top that covered a mound of salt. The lid was lifted, and a pinch of salt was taken to season food. A particularly ostentatious standing salt like this one was also known as a “great salt,” and a person’s status determined where they sat at the table relative to it. This piece is 25.0 centimeters tall by 11.5 cm square at the base and 6.3 cm square at the top.