Part of the attraction of any collectible is the story that surrounds it, and salt-cellars have a tale to tell. Heres what you need to know about this condiment collectible.

The Salt

Salt-cellars, sometimes called the salt, open salts or salt dips, have been around for centuries. They are the dishes from which salt was served with tiny spoons or the end of a knife blade. In informal situations, you could pinch the salt from the dishes.

Early salt was coarse and caked in humid weather. It had to be kept in open dishes so that the coarse salt could be broken up before serving.

Materials

Salt-cellars were made of many materials including wood, glass, pottery, pewter, crystal, sterling and Faberge. They ranged in style from unadorned, simple-shaped glass to chic decorative sterling silver.

History

In the Middle Ages, where you were seated in relation to the placement of the salt on the table signified your social stature. The desirable seating position was above the salt, a term that is still sometimes used. Wealthy Romans liberal use of salt, a precious commodity at that time, broadcast their social status.

One of the most famous salt-cellars is depicted in Leonardo da Vinci's painting "The Last Supper." It shows an upturned salt-cellar in front of Judas, which signifies bad luck or bad faith.

Salt-cellars became archaic in the early 19th century when new glass technology developed. Glass salt shakers were born and salt-cellars were obsolete.

Desirable Collectible

Salt-cellars are attractive collectibles. They are unique and decorative. You can have an assortment yet they do not take up too much space. Plus, they are not too expensive so you can develop a collection without breaking the bank, ranging in price from a few dollars to pricier crystal or sterling silver.

Antique shops, flea markets, garage sales and E-bay are all good sources for salt-cellars.

Martin Swinton

A lifelong lover of all things old, Martin was born in Toronto, Canada and spent time in Malaysia as a child.

Martin learned to restore furniture when he was a teenager and has worked at an auction house. He owns Take-A-Boo Emporium, an antique shop located at 1927 Avenue Road, Toronto, Canada.

His television appearances include Canadian Living Television, Breakfast Television, Daytime and Toronto Living.

Martin teaches courses on antiques and he writes a regular column "Let's Talk Antiques" for the Town Crier newspaper and "Antiques 101" for the Home Advisor. He also does appraisals for estates and community events.

When Martin is not appearing on television or teaching, he can be found in his shop restoring well-worn furniture, gluing vintage tables or re-caning and rushing chairs. On warm summer days, he has been seen multi-tasking out front of the shop when he chats up the locals and works on his tan.

Martin recalls that he has always been interested in things from the past, so it is not surprising that he graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Archaeology. He holds a high school equivalency diploma from the Ontario Ministry of Education. Martin completed his grade 2 course of studies at Cedarvale Public School before being home school through to high school. At the age of 7 Martin was diagnosed with a bad case of dyslexia, which explains a lot of the problems that he had in Mrs. Mansica's grade 2 reading circle.

His personal areas of interest are Asian art, European furniture and the Arts & Crafts movement. Martin is a member of the Monarchist League of Canada. He lives in Toronto with his wife Andrea and Kurt, his basketball mad 14-year old son.