A Late Renaissance Copper-Gilt Covered Standing Salt with a Falcon Overcoming a Serpent

A late Renaissance covered standing salt, constructed in copper-gilt with a separate, possibly silver-gilt interior liner, the domed cover surmounted by a sculptural finial depicting a bird of prey, probably a falcon, overcoming a serpent.

The vessel comprises a circular, spreading foot supporting a short baluster stem with a pronounced knop, above which rises a deep, rounded bowl. The exterior is ornamented with scrolling foliage and stylised vegetal forms characteristic of late sixteenth-century Renaissance metalwork. The decoration is arranged symmetrically around the body, incorporating broad, curving leaves and engraved detailing, while the foot and stem display corresponding ornamental treatment.

The fitted cover follows the rounded profile of the bowl and is similarly decorated with scrolling foliage. Its summit supports a cast and chased bird of prey, represented with raised wings, lowered head and prominent hooked beak. Beneath the bird is a slender, elongated form, apparently representing a serpent, which extends towards its beak. The composition may be interpreted as a falcon overcoming a serpent, a subject consistent with the emblematic and allegorical imagery employed in Renaissance decorative arts.

The interior of the vessel contains a separate, smooth, rounded liner of silvery metal with a gilded appearance, possibly silver-gilt. Its curved profile would have facilitated the removal of salt while protecting the surrounding copper-alloy body from direct contact with its contents. The liner bears no visible assay or maker’s marks. Its precise composition remains to be established.