salt-cellar

Salt-cellar; silver-gilt; chased; lower part represents whale swimming on surface of water, in which are a number of sea-monsters; mouth open showing tongues of brown agate; scallop shell on tail with border of engraved formal scrolls; from the hinge rises a female figure wearing single ruff, hair dressed and set with garnets, coif of clear crystal with spiral facets, foiled in green; bosom formed of cockle-shell with rosette of garnets; hands rest on edge of shell with cabochon emerald paste between; additional support to bowl from snake set with turquoise and garnet, which is coiled around whale.