Saliera
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saliera is Italian for salt cellar (i.e., a predecessor to the contemporary salt shaker).
Usually, the Italian term is used to refer to a particular item created by the Italian sculptor and goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini for Francis I of France sometime between 1539 and 1543. It came into the possession of the Habsburgs as a gift by Charles XI to Archduke Ferdinand II of Tyrol. It was originally part of the art collection of Castle Ambras, but was transferred to the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna during the 19th century.
The Saliera is the only work of gold which can be attributed to Cellini with certainty. It was created in the style of the late Renaissance and allegorically portrays planet Earth. Neptune, god of the sea, and Ceres, goddess of the earth, symbolizing their unity by producing salt.
The salt cellar consists of ivory, gold, and vitreous enamel. It stands about 26 cm tall. The base is about 33.5 cm wide.
On May 11, 2003, the Saliera was stolen from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, which was covered by a scaffolding at that time due to reconstruction works. The museum had offered a reward of € 70,000 for its recovery.
The Saliera was recovered on January 21, 2006 buried in a lead box in a forest near the town of Zwettl, Austria, about 90 km north of Vienna. The assumed thief had turned himself in after police released surveillance photos of the suspect which were subsequently recognized by acquaintances.[1]
Assumed value of the Saliera is about $ 4,600,000; £ 2,500,000.
