Set of six salts 1662

Editor: So, these are called "Set of six salts" made in 1662 from silver. I find their tiny form fascinating. What captures your eye when you look at them? Curator: Well, darling, imagine the shimmer of candlelight dancing on this silver back in 1662. It is Baroque but surprisingly subdued! I see power plays at the dining table – these aren't *just* salt cellars; they're declarations of status! Did you notice the coats-of-arms engraved on them? Little heraldic billboards proclaiming who you were, where you came from! I wonder how much a statement this made during their suppers. Who knows what political maneuvering might have occurred right alongside. Editor: That makes so much sense. The coats of arms were like little biographies. But, if it were me, wouldn't it be nerve-wracking eating near all of this ornate tableware? Curator: Oh, my sweet pea, for them it wasn't about ease! Imagine the rustle of silks, the murmur of conversation… these objects were part of an elaborate ritual! Almost as if theater for them. And you have to love that these little things have survived! Don't you feel they give us a taste–*pun intended*– of history, of lives lived to the brim with detail? I'd even bet these were once touched by very significant figures. I think about it, I see faces, and the air fills with ghosted conversations! Editor: I never thought of decorative art quite that way. I just love thinking that I am so connected to history through these beautiful pieces. Curator: Isn't it fabulous? Never underestimate the power of a humble salt cellar. History is really about intimate lives if you really want to dig into it. And who wouldn't want to spend an evening with these beauties, eh?