Pair of Salt Cellars c. 19th century

Editor: Here we have Edgar Eoff's Pair of Salt Cellars, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. They're quite small, but the ornate floral detailing gives them a certain grandeur. What symbolic meaning do you find in them? Curator: Salt is an ancient symbol of preservation and purification, often linked to covenants and hospitality. What about the floral motifs? What do they evoke for you? Editor: For me, they symbolize growth and prosperity. Curator: Yes, and that combination – salt and flora – speaks to a hope for a flourishing and blessed life. The choice of silver elevates these utilitarian objects, signifying wealth and status. Editor: I never thought of salt cellars as carrying so much symbolic weight. Thanks for illuminating that! Curator: My pleasure! It shows how everyday objects can be vessels of cultural memory.