{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O11127"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O11127/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM5842/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM5842/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AM5842","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KW7561","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O11127/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O11127","accessionNumber":"162-1865","objectType":"Salt","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"<b>Object Type</b><br>A shell held aloft on the tail of a sea creature, in this case a dolphin, provides a distinctive way to present salt to a guest. This is a rare contribution by Wedgwood & Co. to Felix Summerly's Art Manufactures' scheme to promote public taste by employing well-known painters and sculptors to design  articles for everyday use. The firm most closely associated with Summerly, and the most productive, was Minton & Co.<br><br><b>People</b><br>John Bell (1811-1895) was born in Hopton,  Norfolk.  He studied at the Royal Academy Schools from 1829 and exhibited there regularly  from 1832.  He worked extensively as a sculptor and modeller in a variety of materials, including marble, terracotta and cast iron.  During the mid-1840s he was invited by Henry Cole (1808-1882) to provide a design for an inkwell for Summerly's Art Manufactures and this was followed by a number of  figures reproduced in Parian, notably by Minton and Copeland. At the same time two models were commissioned for the Manufactures from Wedgwood, one of which is this, the Dolphin Salt.<br><br><b>Time</b><br>Elaborately painted and gilded as this is, it is possible that the model offered in 1848 was intended as unpainted or at least as less elaborate.  This example was made in 1865, some 14 years after the cessation of the Art Manufactures, by which time Wedgwood were making it independently.","physicalDescription":"","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Bell, John","id":"A8138"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Josiah Wedgwood and Sons","id":"A1450"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Earthenware, enamelled, painted and gilded","categories":[{"text":"British Galleries","id":"THES48985"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"CER","id":"THES48594"},"images":["2006AM5842","2018KW7561"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"125B (VA)","id":"THES49893"},"free":"","case":"CA2","shelf":"","box":"44"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Salt cellar","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Stoke-on-Trent","id":"x29185"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1848","earliest":"1848-01-01","latest":"1848-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed (shape)","id":"x30230"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"1865","earliest":"1865-01-01","latest":"1865-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Wedgwood & Sons","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"12.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"maximum","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"15.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"maximum","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"12.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"maximum","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions checked: Measured; 28/05/1999 by Terry","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Painted on the base 'First produced January 29-48 Present example April 6-65'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":"A8877"},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Designed by John Bell (born in Hepton, Suffolk, 1811, died in London, 1895) for Felix Summerly's Art Manufactures\nManufactured by Wedgwood & Sons, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"fish and shell salt dish","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"British Galleries:\nThe idea of serving salt in a shell to symbolise the sea began in the early 1700s. Large shells such as this were popular, as well as smaller individual shells for each guest at dinner.","date":{"text":"27/03/2003","earliest":"2003-03-27","latest":"2003-03-27"}}],"partNumbers":["162-1865"],"accessionNumberNum":"162","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1865,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LP9988","2019LP4303","2019LU6993"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-04","recordCreationDate":"1999-05-25","availableToBook":false}}