Salt Caster 1884 - 1893

Curator: Here we have a "Salt Caster," produced by the New England Glass Company sometime between 1884 and 1893. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: My immediate thought is that this piece, even in monochrome, seems utilitarian yet subtly precious. The shape and material contrast makes me think about everyday luxury, or perhaps hidden worth. Curator: The design is so wonderfully understated. The cylindrical body swells just slightly, the top a metal cap with concentric rings, pierced with holes. Think of the rituals around salt: purification, preservation, flavoring. Each shake from those tiny holes carries a silent weight of cultural association. Editor: Exactly, but let's not forget the glass itself. It seems almost murky, full of imperfections which for me emphasize the material reality of its creation: the heat, the shaping, the slow cool down. Mass-produced, perhaps, but still bearing the marks of its making. And what about that cap? Was it always metal, or plated? The degradation alone tells a story of wear and use. Curator: A crucial point, considering the salt itself would have affected it. Consider the placement on the table, a subtle indication of status, controlling not just flavor but almost like manipulating destiny itself, especially in its heyday, which speaks volumes about American materialism in the late 19th century. Editor: Well said. The New England Glass Company, being a larger producer of this type of items would have played an essential role for the development of such commodities for middle-class families during the time. Curator: In observing these pieces, we engage with tangible connections to domestic spaces long since gone. They carry forward emotional traces from previous owners as a type of time capsule from the past. Editor: Agreed. And the simple act of reconsidering these objects—the "stuff" of everyday life—reveals forgotten narratives, both practical and precious.