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Saliera

1540–1543, Artist: Benvenuto Cellini

 

 

Saliera

The only extant work in gold by this Florentine artist already famous during his lifetime, Cellini’s masterpiece is far more than a precious salt and pepper cellar. Its decorative program turns it into an allegory of the Cosmos, represented here by the deities Neptune (sea) and Tellus (earth) as well as by the depictions of the times of day and the four winds on the base. This cosmos is being ruled by the man who had commissioned the work, here represented by his arms and emblems: King Francis I of France.

Location: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Kunstkammer Wien Raum XXIX

Object data

Object Name

Table Decoration; Vessel; Salt Cellar

Culture

Paris

Dated

1540–1543

Artist

Benvenuto Cellini (1500 Florenz - 1571 Florenz) - GND

Material

Gold, enamel, ebony, ivory

Dimensions

28,5 cm × 21,5 cm × 26,3 cm

Image rights

Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Kunstkammer

Inv. No.

Kunstkammer, 881

100 Meisterwerke - Die Saliera - Benvenuto Cellini

IGS - Saliera - Cellini

OESG - Saliera - Cellini

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