Ruby glass salt cellar

This round vessel, nearly 8 cm high, served for the decorative storage of salt. Made of red-coloured glass, it stands on a silver plate decorated with leafy tendrils. The slightly domed lid of the container is also made of elaborate silver ornamentation, with a raven-like bird perched on a branch. It almost looks as though the bird is looking after the precious salt. In the Siegerlandmuseum collection, a number of containers, glasses and candlesticks can be found from the northern part of Bohemia (in Czech: Severní Čechy), mostly from the mid-19th century. At this time, red stain was introduced to the market in the local glass industry. This made it possible for colourless containers and glasses to be coloured more cost-effectively than was previously the case.