What is a trencher salt
Originally a trencher was a flat plate with an edge made from a hard unlevened bread.
The expresion "Trencherman" meaning a person who could eat a lot as they would not only eat the meal they would eat the trncher plate made from bread too.
Later a trencher became a large plate, as you can see with these Chinese export trencher salts they have the classic trencer oblong dised shape. Trencher salts were cast in one go, and did not have a removable liner, when made from silver if the salt left then it would if wet oxidise with the silver, so in the 1820s cauldron shaped salts were inveented on legs with bristol blue liners to make more usuable.
If you find trencher salts or capstan tencher salts you can be sure you have an early george the 3rd item or earlier as really the design changed little in 200 years until after 1810, salt throught time has always attracted status and taxes and by default, having a smart way to efficiently dispense for use without waste and looking elegant was inportant.
Opposite chinese export Qing long trencher salts c1770.
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