These graceful sterling silver salt cellars are in excellent condition, and it is quite rare to find a set of six that is match exactly. These were made by Edward Barnes and Sons in London. A s you can see by the date letters and sequential numbering, five were made in 1846 and one was made in 1847 , which also has a random B marked over to one side , probably for one of the Sons who joined the firm. You can tell from the pictures that as you would expect from a royal silversmith, these are of superior quality in their design and execution. It is quite rare to find all six with their handblown liners, which appear to be original , as you can see from the picture of the marks on the bottom of one of them. They fit the sterling perfectly and are of course a spectacular blue. Each salt cellar has three feet that begin the foliate pattern that covers the entire exterior (and interior, in reverse) , and in addition, there are three small lozenges. You can see faint, remains of what appears to be a griffin in one lozenge on each one. They all match exactly, even the one that was made later. The other two lozenges are blank on each salt cellar. The salt cellars are quite large, 3 inches each across and just under 2 1/4 inches tall. The hallmarks are still crisp enough to clearly identify the maker and year of manufacture, although you can see, there has been some rubbing from polishing – another reason for me to leave that to you. These have been in my family since at least the 1940s, I remember them being used once , carefully. I t’s time for me to send them to a new loving home, as I no longer – if I ever did -give parties w here s terling silver salt cellars would be useful. I hope these find someone with a more elegant lifestyle!
