{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O67737"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O67737/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2024NX0100/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2024NX0100/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2024NX0100","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AK1847","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NX0098","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O67737/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O67737","accessionNumber":"M.152B,C,E,F-1920","objectType":"Four salt cellars","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The inconvenience of a central standing salt encouraged the development in the early 17th century of a much smaller receptacle which was placed near the individual plate.  In the late 18th century, pierced oval shaped cellars on four ball and claw feet and with coloured glass liners in the style of the neo-classical revival were common.\r\n\r\nSheffield plate was discovered in about 1742 by Thomas Boulsover, a Sheffield cutler.  Boulsover’s discovery was simply that copper and silver in unequal amounts, when fused expanded together indefinitely at uniform rate under mechanical pressure.  The introduction of Sheffield plate revolutionised the plating industry for it offered an effective, relatively cheap, supremely versatile and durable plating technique which could convincingly imitate the surface appearance of solid silver. The pierced decoration on this Sheffield plate salt cellar was stamped using a fly press. Fly presses contained a shaped punch which pressed out patterns in silver-plated copper, in place of the fretsaw traditionally used by silversmiths to cut patterns out of silver sheet. The sawing of plated objects tended to disturb the thin layer of silver and expose the edge of the copper beneath the silver plate. By contrast, as the fly press pierced the plate metal, it also ingeniously dragged the top layer of silver over the edge of the copper joining it to the layer of silver on the underside and thereby concealing the cut copper edge.","physicalDescription":"Pair of salt cellars, oval resting on four ball and claw feet, the sides pierced and engraved with fern leaves, beaded edges, to the front is attached an oval medallion for a crest.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Sheffield plate","id":"AAT81349"},{"text":"Glass","id":"AAT10797"}],"techniques":[{"text":"plating","id":"AAT53991"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Sheffield plate","categories":[{"text":"Eating","id":"THES48963"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Tableware & cutlery","id":"THES48888"}],"styles":[{"text":"Neoclassical","id":"AAT21477"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2024NX0100","2006AK1847","2024NX0098"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES405512"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES405512"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES405512"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES405656"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES405656"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES405656"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES405656"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES405512"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Salt cellar","id":""}],[{"text":"Salt cellar","id":""}],[{"text":"Liner","id":""}],[{"text":"Salt cellar","id":""}],[{"text":"Salt cellar","id":""}],[{"text":"Liner","id":""}],[{"text":"Liner","id":""}],[{"text":"Liner","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Sheffield","id":"x29138"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1780","earliest":"1775-01-01","latest":"1784-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"The Wolseley Bequest","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"5.08","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"each","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"7.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"each","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"6.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"each","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Salt cellars with blue glass liners, Sheffield plate, English, ca. 1780","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"Reason For Production: Retail","productionType":{"text":"Mass produced","id":"THES48863"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.152-1920","M.152A-1920","M.152A/PART-1920","M.152B-1920","M.152C-1920","M.152E-1920","M.152F-1920","M.152PART-1920"],"accessionNumberNum":"152","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1920,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Salt cellar [1]","Salt cellar [2]","Liner [1]","Liner [2]","Salt cellar [3]","Salt cellar [4]","Liner [3]","Liner [4]"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-12-08","recordCreationDate":"2002-09-23","availableToBook":true}}