And why can’t I find it anywhere?
In a bid to stay the historically savvy person I am, :dubious: I took a trip to the local museum, which happened to have a showcase of decorative Russian serving plates. Amongst the tureens and custard dishes was a “salt” and a “double salt” (the double-salt having a lid with two depressions in it).
I’ve never heard of any tableware being described this way, and apparently neither has the internet. They didn’t look like shakers at all, but could certainly have contained salt for serving in some other way.
Oh hey - after a lot of searching, I’ve found this “double open salt”, but it doesn’t help explain how it works.
Depending on the size and design, you could use one for the table and pass, but smaller salt cellars are placed at each cover (place setting). There are even little salt spoons to use with them.
My mother has a large collection of salts, to which she (and now others as well) continues to add. One at every place setting. By now she has enough to pick which ones she wants to use at Rosh Hashanah.
Judith Martin (Miss Manners) once mentioned in a column (perhaps facetiously) that she collects obscure pieces of Victorian tableware with which to baffle dinner guests, who are inevitably nervous about using the wrong fork when dining with her. I think she said her favorite was a silver pair of grape shears. The Victorians loved elaborate table settings, so a double salt cellar between every two guests (an a matching single salt cellar for the guest at each end, one presumes!) would be nothing.
