A silver salt spoon with a bowl that comes to a blunt flat tip and a neck that starts out thinner and goes to a thicker rounded handle.
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William S. Morgan

Salt Spoon

Maker

William S. Morgan (American, Active 1832 - 1881)

Culture

American

Title

Salt Spoon

Year

mid-1800s

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

silver

Dimensions

Length: 10.3 cm (4 1/16 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Stamp: W

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of the estate of Elizabeth T. Casey

Object Number

1989.045.12.166.2

Type

Exhibition History

Trading Earth
Ceramics, Commodities, and Commerce
Apr 09, 2022 – Aug 03, 2025

Label copy

Served from various ceramic and metal containers, salt is one of the five basic tastes, and essential for normal function of the human body—although too much salt can also cause health issues. Underscoring salt’s role in the history of world commerce, the word salary comes from the Latin sal, meaning salt, as Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt.

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

William S. Morgan (American, Active 1832 - 1881)
Salt Spoon, mid-1800s
Silver
Length: 10.3 cm (4 1/16 inches)
Gift of the estate of Elizabeth T. Casey 1989.045.12.166.2

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