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Salt had been regarded since the middle ages as an exceptional product that both healed and purified, and as a costly condiment it had traditionally been given pride of place on the dining table. This ornate silver specimen with its cover demonstrates that the object's ceremonial significance was still current in the 17th century. It is the earliest known salt of its kind, and the only one still to have its cover.
The clear articulation and structure of this splendid piece - which is composed of loose, cast elements - is typical of the art of the 16th century, which means that this object was already somewhat old-fashioned at the time it was made. By then the tone had already been set by the flowing, organic forms used by Adam and Paulus van Vianen and Johannes Lutma.
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