Hallmarked sterling silver salt dish showing leaping dolphins, with antique blue glass order liner and accompanying salt spoon

A solid, sterling silver salt dish, depicting leaping dolphins. This stunning silver salt dish has a recycled, antique blue glass liner through which the light shines. The dolphins are cut out in the silver, so that the light shines through the blue glass liner to create a series of stunning images. The salt dish comes with antique salt spoon which has been enamelled by me with an image of a leaping dolphin to accompany the dish.

The dish was handmade in my workshop in Sheffield. It is not 'manufactured', pristine or perfect. There are some imperfections in the silver and the soldering. The old blue glass liner has some tiny chips - known as 'flea bites'. Nevertheless, the overall quality of the workmanship is good. This lovely salt dish is absolutely unique and would grace any dining table.

The dish is about 5.2 cms in diameter, and stands about 3.0 cms tall on three ball feet. The sterling silver weighs 30g. It has been hallmarked at the Sheffield Assay office, and the marks show my maker's mark, the white rose mark for the Sheffield assay office, the 925 mark for the silver purity as well as the traditional lion for sterling silver, and the date mark for 2020. The sterling silver salt spoon weighs 4g, and was made in Birmingham in 1916.

These salt dishes are used by putting a small quantity of sea salt or rock salt in them and diners simply take a pinch of salt directly from the dish to sprinkle on their food. They have been made and used in this way for at least 500 years, though small silver salt dishes like this were only introduced about 350 years ago (Samuel Pepys describes buying 12 salt dishes in his diary). The blue glass liners were introduced about 270 years ago. .

The salt will be despatched within a day or two by Royal Mail second class - 'signed for'. This secure mail service costs £4.10, which is my postal charge. order