Salt cellar with the works of Hercules

The salt cellar was made in Limoges, the most important center of European enamelware. It is made of copper and has a hexagonal shape. There are small salt depressions on the top and bottom. The walls show the works of the mythical Hercules. The upper and lower surfaces of the work were decorated with images of Roman emperors. Iconography defines this magnificent vessel as a princely item. This is due to the fact that Hercules was considered the embodiment of the ideal of royal virtues and was seen in the Renaissance as a role model.