This is 'part 2' of an article dealing with the collection of silver open salts of the The Victoria and Albert Museum -or just the "V&A" as it is more commonly known- located on Cromwell Road in London and established in 1852. Part 1 of this article was published in January 2009 Newsletter and is available clicking here.
The V&A collection of salts spanned a period of manufacture of nearly 500 years -dating from the early 1500's to a very contemporary silver salt made in 1979- and its policy allows photographs (without the use of tripod equipment). Other photos are published from The V&A website with the kind permission of the museum (these photos are noted with © Victoria and Albert Museum, London).
The descriptions noted are those provided by the museum with only minor edits. Where dimensions were given they have been noted here as well. For lack of a better methodology, the salts have been organized by age. Obviously we are very appreciative of the V&A's policy on photography so we can share these open salts with fellow collectors and we would certainly encourage anyone visiting London to view these items in person as well as the many other lovely items in the museum's collections.

Sheffield plate salt with blue glass liner c. 1775; Sheffield, England; H 4.5 cm., L 8.1 cm., W 6.35 cm. This is a Sheffield plate salt cellar. This salt cellar dates from about 1790. At this time pierced oval-shaped cellars in the Neo-classical style were common. They had four ball-and-claw feet and colored glass liners. The plater used a fly press to stamp the pierced decoration. Fly presses contained a shaped punch that pressed out patterns in silver-plated copper or Sheffield plate. Silversmiths traditionally used the fretsaw to cut patterns out of silver sheet. However, sawing plated objects tended to disturb the thin layer of silver and expose the edge of the copper beneath the silver plate. As the fly press pierced the plate metal, it also ingeniously dragged the top layer of silver over the edge of the copper. It joined it to the layer of silver on the underside, cleverly concealing the cut copper edge. . © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Silver-gilt double salt with green glass liners (in back) mark of Marc-Etienne Janety, Paris, France; 1778-79. The Neoclassical style is self-consciously monumental. The dominant feature of this salt is its obelisk handle. Architects such as Venetian Giovanni Battista Piranesi and the Parisian Jean-Laurent Le Geay frequently sketched commemorative plinths and obelisks among the ruins in Rome. Silversmiths acquired their designs and added elements of them to their repertoires. (in front) Silver double salt with blue glass liners; mark of Marc-Etienne Janety, Paris, France; 1782-83. Among archaeological finds, the shapes of vases, ewers and urns could be adapted most easily as containers for use on the dinning or dressing table. In this salt, however, the urn merely serves as a handle, adds symmetry and hints at the object’s purpose as a container.

Pair of Sheffield plate salts with blue glass liners c. 1780; Sheffield, England; H 5.08 cm., L 7.8 cm., W 6.1 cm. In the late 18th century, pierced oval shaped cellars on four ball and claw feet and with colored glass liners in the style of the neo-classical revival were common. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Sheffield plate salt with blue glass liner c. 1780; Sheffield, England; H 5.08 cm., L 8.3 cm., W 6.3 cm. This is a Sheffield plate salt cellar. Smaller salt cellars that stood near individual plates developed in the early 17th century. They replaced the inconvenient central standing salt. This salt cellar dates from about 1790. At this time pierced oval-shaped cellars in the Neo-classical style were common. They typically had four ball-and-claw feet and colored glass liners. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Sheffield plate salt with blue glass liner c. 1780; Sheffield, England; H 7.61 cm., W 10.66 cm. This piece, made in the period 1750-1800, has the pierced oval shape in the Neo-classical style with a large round foot and colored glass liner. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Silver and glass salt 1782-1783; designed by Marc-Etienne Janety; Paris, France; H 10.6 cm., L 14.7 cm., W 7.7 cm. Among archaeological finds, vases, ewers and urns could be adapted most easily as containers for use on the dining or dressing table. In this salt cellar, however, the urn merely serves as a handle, added for symmetry and to hint at the object's purpose as a container. Blue glass added an attractive decorative element to silver from the 1770s, especially in France and England. It also served a practical purpose as unlike silver, it was not corroded by salt, was easier to keep clean, and was cheaper to replace © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Sheffield plate salt with blue glass liner 1785-1790; Sheffield, England; H 5.58 cm., L 9.1 cm., W 5.8 cm. This salt cellar dates from about 1790. At this time pierced oval-shaped cellars in the Neo-classical style were common. They had four ball-and-claw feet and colored glass liners. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Sheffield plate salt with blue glass liner 1785-1790; Sheffield, England; H 5.58 cm., L 9.1 cm., W 5.8 cm. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Sheffield plate salt with blue glass liner c. 1785; Sheffield, England; H 6.6 cm., L 10.9 cm., W 6.7 cm. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Sheffield plate salt with blue glass liner c. 1790; Sheffield, England; H 3 ¾ in., L 6 1/8 in. In the late 18th century, pierced oval shaped cellars with liners in a neo-classical revival style were common. This example has pierced sides with arcading and unusually, two removable, blue glass liners. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Sheffield plate salt with blue glass liner c. 1790; Sheffield, England. This salt cellar dates from about 1790. At this time pierced oval-shaped cellars in the Neo-classical style were common. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Sheffield plate salt with blue glass liner c. 1790; Sheffield, England; H 5.39 cm., L 8.89 cm. This salt cellar dates from about 1790. At this time pierced oval-shaped cellars in the Neo-classical style were common. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Sheffield plate salt late 18th century; Sheffield, England; H 5.39 cm., D 7.62 cm. The inconvenience of a central standing salt receptacle encouraged the development in the early 17th century of much smaller salt cellars which were set near individual place settings. This English-made round bowl-shaped salt cellar is one of a pair. It has a frilled lip and sits on three cabriole legs Sheffield plate was discovered in about 1742 by Thomas Boulsover, a Sheffield cutler. Boulsover’s discovery was simply that copper and silver in unequal amounts, when fused expanded together indefinitely at uniform rate under mechanical pressure. The introduction of Sheffield plate revolutionized the plating industry for it offered an effective, relatively cheap, supremely versatile and durable plating technique which could convincingly imitate the surface appearance of solid silver. The industry this material created flourished for about 100 years until superseded by electroplating © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Sheffield plate salt; late 18th century; Sheffield, England; H 3.2 in., L 5.1 in; W 2.3 in. In the late 18th century, boat shaped cellars on a spreading foot in the style of the neo-classical revival were common. When there was no glass liner supplied, as with this example, the interior was gilded to prevent the salt corroding the silver surface. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Silver salt, inside layer spun and gilt, cast foot and branches, beaded rim 1825-1826; designed by John Bridge; London, England; Dia. 3.25., H 2.63 in. This salt cellar shows the impact of naturalism on 19th-century design, which reached its height in the 1850s. The love of nature had romantic and religious resonances, John Ruskin commenting that 'all noble ornamentation is the expression of man's delight in God's work'. Inspiration from the natural world was also one of the key features of the Rococo Revival. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Sheffield plate salt with unusual cranberry-glass liners late 18th century; Sheffield, England; H 2 in., L 3 in., W 2 3/8 in. This small salt cellar would have stood close to an individual plate. These smaller containers developed in the early 17th century to replace the less convenient central standing salt. This piece, made in the period 1750-1800, has the pierced oval shape, four ball and claw feet and colored glass liner typical of salts in the Neo-classical style. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Sheffield plate salt with blue glass liner late 18th century; Sheffield, England; H 1 ¾ in., L 3 ½ . © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Silver-gilt salt cellar mark of Digby Scott and Benjamin Smith, London, 1806-7. The design of this salt can be attributed to the work of Jean Jacques Boileau. He came to England from France in 1787 as a mural painter for the Prince Regent’s new home of Carlton Place. Boileau’s silver designs balance plain silver with a small range of classical or Egyptian ornament combined in simple, almost geometric forms. The sphinxes and triform base are typical of his work. The Royal Goldsmiths Rundell, Bridge and Rundell began producing silver based on Boileau designs from about 1803 and a group of drawings attributed to the designer can be seen in the Print Room of the V & A. Scott and Smith, the makers of this salt, were regular suppliers to Rundells.

Pair of Sheffield plate salt cellars c. 1810; Sheffield, England; H 2 1/16 in., W 4 ¼ in. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Sheffield plate salt early 19th century; probably Paris, France; H 5 in., L 6 in., W 3 1/8 in. By the late 18th century, single or sometimes double salt cellars, distributed at regular intervals down the length of the table, were common. These salt cellars were a popular in Sheffield plate, like this example, which has a central, upright handle decorated with foliage and palmettes. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Silver salt cellar with interior gilt (on left) mark of Paul Storr and ‘390’ stamped; London, 1815-16. (on right) mark of David and Robert Hennell; London, 1803-4; it is engraved with the crest of Lowther within the garter and surmounted by a coronet. (Photographer’s Note: The handles, which extend to become the base are coiled snakes!)

Pair of silver and enamel open salts 1874-1875 (hallmarked); Thomas Smiley, London, England. H 1 1/6 in., D 2 in. At grand dinners individual silver, electroplate or glass salt cellars with spoons were placed above every place setting. It was just as correct to offer one salt cellar between two, which would still enable guests to have easy access to the condiment. Salt cellars could be purchased in a huge number of styles, from Gothic to Neo-classical, to match the consumer's taste or the fashion of the moment. The general form and the ball feet of this salt look back to the early 19th century © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Silver salt cellar made by an unidentified maker Western India (Cutch) around 1885. Cutch silver, from a small island in Northwestern India, with its emphasis on floral scrolls in tightly grouped areas of high relief, became fashionable among Europeans during the second half of the 19th-century. According to the museum, they probably acquired this piece from Liberty and Co. who advertised this pattern as ‘Kutch Work’ in their Yuletide Catalogue of around 1890.

Two silver salt cellars; Germany, late 19th century figural shapes, almost novelty style.

Silver salt cellar Germany, late 19th century: figural with design of a barrel maker