Saliera
Encyclopedia
The Cellini Salt Cellar (in Vienna called the Saliera - Italian
for salt cellar
) is a part-enamelled
gold table sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini
. It was completed in 1543 for Francis I of France
, from models that had been prepared many years earlier for Cardinal Ippolito d'Este
. The Cellini Salt Cellar depicts a male figure representing the sea
and a female figure that represents the earth
. A small vessel meant to hold salt is placed next to the male figure.
It was modelled and cast by the Italian sculptor
and goldsmith
Benvenuto Cellini
for Francis I of France
sometime between 1539 and 1543. It came into the possession of the Habsburg
s as a gift by Charles IX of France
to Archduke Ferdinand II of Tyrol. It was originally part of the Habsburg art collection at Castle Ambras, but was transferred to the Kunsthistorisches Museum
in Vienna
during the 19th century.
The Saliera is the only work of gold which can be attributed to Cellini with certainty and is sometimes referred to as the "Mona Lisa of Sculpture." It was created in the style of the late Renaissance
and allegorically portrays Terra e Mare in Cellini's description in his Autobiography, allegorised
as Neptune
, god of the sea, and Ceres, goddess of the earth, symbolizing their unity in producing salt
mined from the earth. The salt cellar consists of ivory
, gold
, and vitreous enamel
. It stands about 26 cm tall. The base is about 33.5 cm wide. Two years after finishing this work Cellini returned to Florence, to the patronage of Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
.
The sculpture is currently insured for an estimated $60 million (approx. $64.5 million in CPI
-adjusted 2010 US dollars) by Uniqa, an Austrian insurance company.
at that time due to reconstruction works. The museum had offered a reward of € 70,000 for its recovery. The Saliera was recovered on January 21, 2006 buried in a lead box in a forest near the town of Zwettl
, Austria
, about 90 km north of Vienna
. The assumed thief, Robert Mang, had turned himself in after police released surveillance photos of the suspect which were subsequently recognized by acquaintances.
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
for salt cellar
Salt cellar
A salt cellar is a vessel, usually small and made of glass or silver, used on the table for holding salt. An individual salt dish or squat open salt cellar placed near a trencher was called a trencher salt...
) is a part-enamelled
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...
gold table sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini
Benvenuto Cellini
Benvenuto Cellini was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, painter, soldier and musician, who also wrote a famous autobiography. He was one of the most important artists of Mannerism.-Youth:...
. It was completed in 1543 for Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
, from models that had been prepared many years earlier for Cardinal Ippolito d'Este
Ippolito d'Este
Ippolito d'Este was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal, and Archbishop of Esztergom. He was a member of the House of Este.-Biography:...
. The Cellini Salt Cellar depicts a male figure representing the sea
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
and a female figure that represents the earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. A small vessel meant to hold salt is placed next to the male figure.
It was modelled and cast by the Italian sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
and goldsmith
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
Benvenuto Cellini
Benvenuto Cellini
Benvenuto Cellini was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, painter, soldier and musician, who also wrote a famous autobiography. He was one of the most important artists of Mannerism.-Youth:...
for Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
sometime between 1539 and 1543. It came into the possession of the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
s as a gift by Charles IX of France
Charles IX of France
Charles IX was King of France, ruling from 1560 until his death. His reign was dominated by the Wars of Religion. He is best known as king at the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.-Childhood:...
to Archduke Ferdinand II of Tyrol. It was originally part of the Habsburg art collection at Castle Ambras, but was transferred to the Kunsthistorisches Museum
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The Kunsthistorisches Museum is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on Ringstraße, it is crowned with an octagonal dome...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
during the 19th century.
The Saliera is the only work of gold which can be attributed to Cellini with certainty and is sometimes referred to as the "Mona Lisa of Sculpture." It was created in the style of the late Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
and allegorically portrays Terra e Mare in Cellini's description in his Autobiography, allegorised
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
as Neptune
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
, god of the sea, and Ceres, goddess of the earth, symbolizing their unity in producing salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
mined from the earth. The salt cellar consists of ivory
Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, and vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...
. It stands about 26 cm tall. The base is about 33.5 cm wide. Two years after finishing this work Cellini returned to Florence, to the patronage of Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Cosimo I de' Medici was Duke of Florence from 1537 to 1574, reigning as the first Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1569.-Biography:...
.
The sculpture is currently insured for an estimated $60 million (approx. $64.5 million in CPI
Consumer price index
A consumer price index measures changes in the price level of consumer goods and services purchased by households. The CPI, in the United States is defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as "a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of...
-adjusted 2010 US dollars) by Uniqa, an Austrian insurance company.
Theft and return
On May 11, 2003, the Saliera was stolen from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, which was covered by a scaffoldingScaffolding
Scaffolding is a temporary structure used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures. It is usually a modular system of metal pipes or tubes, although it can be from other materials...
at that time due to reconstruction works. The museum had offered a reward of € 70,000 for its recovery. The Saliera was recovered on January 21, 2006 buried in a lead box in a forest near the town of Zwettl
Zwettl
Zwettl is a town and district capital in Lower Austria. It is chiefly known as the location of Zwettl Abbey, first mentioned in October 1139.- Geography :...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, about 90 km north of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. The assumed thief, Robert Mang, had turned himself in after police released surveillance photos of the suspect which were subsequently recognized by acquaintances.