Salt
1575/1600
Medium
Silver gilt
Dimensions
10.3 × 21.4 × 21.4 cm (4 1/16 × 8 7/16 × 8 7/16 in.)
Classification
silver
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
51753
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
An allegorical female nude in a landscape appears on each of the four sides of this work, while a frieze of putti and fantastic sea creatures runs around the base. Such imagery was intended to evoke the interaction between sea and land that produces salt. This elaborately decorated salt holder would have graced the tables at lavish banquets during the Renaissance and, at the same time, served a useful function. Indeed, this work is a proper tribute to the precious commodity of salt, which served...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...