Salt

The seated female figure with her ankle on her knee may represent Venus (Aphrodite), born of the sea and thus a suitable adornment for a receptacle designed to hold salt, although the present example was meant solely for display. The goddess was frequently depicted in this pose, either bathing or removing a thorn from her foot. The other niches contain a hoofed, hairy figure, possibly a satyr, and a putto holding the arms of France.

Credit: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917