thumb|An English glass salt cellar, circa 1720A salt cellar (also called a salt, salt-box) is an article of tableware for holding and dispensing salt. In British English, the term can be used for what in North American English are called salt shakers. Salt cellars can be either lidded or open, and are found in a wide range of sizes, from large shared vessels to small individual dishes. Styles range from simple to ornate or whimsical, using materials including glass and ceramic, metals, ivory and wood, and plastic.

Use of salt cellars is documented as early as ancient Rome. They continued to be used through the first half of the 20th century; however, usage began to decline with the introduction of free-flowing salt in 1911, and they have been almost entirely replaced by salt shakers.

Salt cellars were an early collectible as pieces of silver, pewter, glass, etc. Soon after their role at the table was replaced by the shaker, salt cellars became a popular collectible in their own right.

Etymology

thumb|Black-glaze salt cellar. Terracotta, 5th century BC, Athens.

The word salt cellar is attested in English from the 15th century. It combines the English word salt with the Anglo-Norman word (from Latin ), which already by itself meant "salt container".

<gallery mode=packed heights=160px>

File:DAR glass - IMG 8708.JPG|Open salt dish, pressed glass; Boston and Sandwich Glass Company, 1830–1835

File:Pair of George IV Irish silver Chinoiserie salt cellars, by William Nowlan, Dublin, 1825.jpg|A pair of George IV Irish silver Chinoiserie salt cellars, by William Nowlan, Dublin, 1825

</gallery>

Salt pig

thumb|upright|An example of a salt pig

A salt pig is a container used to hold salt, particularly in a kitchen, to make it easily accessible to pinch or spoon measure into dishes. They are available in many materials, but are generally ceramic, porcelain, earthenware or clay. The earthenware construction of a salt pig can help keep the salt from clumping in humid kitchens. In the blog Mundane Essays, writer Muness Alrubaiehis researched the origin of the term "salt pig", finding the use of "pig" in Scots and northern English dialect to mean an earthenware vessel.

See also

  • Nef
  • Salt spoon
  • Salt cellar (origami)

References

  • Medieval and Renaissance Saltcellars
  • Open Salt Collectors website
  • Cracow Saltworks Museum