A silver-gilt salt cellar, Northern Netherlands; 1580-1600, 11x10x10 cm. ENDLICH ANTIQUAIRS at TEFAF 2024. © 2024 TEFAF

Provenance: Sotheby’s, London, 11 February 1970;
Private collection, UK
With A.C. Beeling, Leeuwarden, 1992;
Private collection, The netherlands.

Signature: maker's mark a squirrel.

Exhibited: Utrecht, Museum het Catharijneconvent 1991, De Bijbel in huis, 14/12/1991- 08/03/1992, n° 29
Jerusalem, The Israel Museum, Biblical Paintings in Rembrandt’s Holland, 07/05/1993-28/08/1993

The salt cellar is decorated in the humanistic tradition of biblical scenes alternated by mythological figures. Depictions from the biblical story of Lot are represented, alternated by Greek gods such as Zeus, Athena, Diana and Apollo. The combination of images from classical antiquity and the Bible is typical for the period in which the interest of antiquity was rediscovered but at the same time religious themes are still dominant. Classical stories about moral and virtue were depicted next to biblical stories. The gods represented on the vessel are copies after prints by the French goldsmith Etienne Delaune (1518-1583).

The biblical representations are related to Old Testament story of Lot. The engraver used different prints by various 16th century masters and copies them with some liberties.

The story of Lot is very applicable because his wife changed into a salt pillar and as such is depicted twice in the representations.

The story is about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra. Lot travelled with Abraham to the country of Canaan. Upon the instance that Abraham and Lot start quarrelling because there is too little farm land available for all their cattle, they ultimately split up. Lot and his family ended up at Sodom.