Antiques & Collecting: Salt dishes

Salt has played an important a role in human history as it does at the dinner table. It provides necessary nutrients, and it made food preservation possible long before refrigeration. The difficulty of obtaining it and the amount of processing required made it extremely valuable.

Many known prehistoric towns were salt production sites; human migration, trade and even wars have been driven by access to salt. For centuries, salt was served at the table in open dishes, which collectors may call salt cellars, salt dishes, or simply “salts.”

It wasn’t until the 1900s, after the discovery of additives that allowed for a finer grind and prevented lumping, that the familiar saltshaker became commonplace. Even then, some companies continued making salt dishes.

They were often highly decorative, like this three-part open salt that sold for $584 at Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. It was made in Czechoslovakia and dates to the 1920s. It features the rich colors and elaborate decorations collectors associate with the region’s glassware.

Tip: A small chip in a glass goblet or vase can be ground off by a glass-repair expert, but there is little that can be done for cracks.

Current Prices

Lamp, oil, Vaseline glass, Sheldon swirl, opalescent, clear pressed stand, round foot, hurricane shade, 16 inches, $90.

Toy, Kiddy Cyclist, child on tricycle, red overalls, animals on wheels, multicolor, tin lithograph, windup, Unique Art Mfg., 8 1/2 inches, $110.

Barber, pole, red, white and blue stripe, paper, glass tube, steel and chrome caps, aluminum bracket, turns, lights up, William Marvy, 1950s, 18 1/2 inches, $450.

Furniture, day bed, Regency, mahogany, upholstered seat, turned ball feet, high scrolled arms, 31 x 85 inches, $1,660.