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Saltcellar: C.2111-1928

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Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Tin-glazed earthenware salt, painted in blue with a Maltese Cross, a landscape with a building, and the inscription 'REFECTORIO'

Pale buff earthenware, thrown, tin-glazed, and painted in greyish blue. Of waisted cylindrical form with a deep well at the top for the salt. Decorated on the exterior with a Maltese Cross, and a building (church?) between trees, with two narrow horizontal blue bands below, and above, the word 'REFECTORIO' between horizontal blue bands, with a wide blue band above which continues over the top outer edge, and three narrow bands around the well.

Notes

History note: Purchased in Cordoba about 1894 by Dr J.W.L. Glaisher, FRS, Trinity College, Cambridge

Legal notes

Dr J.W.L. Glaisher Bequest

Measurements and weight

Height: 10 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1928-12-07) by Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr

Dating

18th Century
Circa 1700 CE - Circa 1799 CE

Note

Attributed to Talavera, or perhaps to Puente. The Maltese Cross probably indicates that the salt was made for the refectory of a house of the Order of the Knights of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, known as Hospitallers

Components of the work

Decoration composed of cobalt-blue ( greyish and thinly applied)
Base Diameter 11.5 cm

Materials used in production

Tin-glaze
Earthenware

Techniques used in production

Throwing : Earthenware, thrown, tin-glazed, and painted in greyish-blue
Tin-glazing

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: REFECTORIO
  • Location: Round top of side
  • Method of creation: Painted in blue
  • Type: Inscription

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.2111-1928
Primary reference Number: 73118
Old object number: 150

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Tuesday 26 March 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Saltcellar" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/73118 Accessed: 2025-12-06 20:59:14

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/73118 |title=Saltcellar |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-06 20:59:14|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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