Salt Shovel 1770 - 1800

This is a salt shovel, crafted in the late 18th century by Nehemiah Norcross. A seemingly simple object, it offers a glimpse into the social rituals and material culture of its time. Notice its delicate, shovel-like form. In this era, salt was not merely a condiment, but a symbol of status and hospitality. To offer salt was to offer friendship, and objects like this played a role in that ritual. Consider the long history of salt. From ancient Rome, where soldiers were paid in salt, to the Silk Road, where it was traded like gold, salt has always held a place of honor and importance. This shovel echoes the symbolic weight salt has carried across millennia, embodying an emotional and cultural depth far beyond its utilitarian purpose.