Brass shaker with lion stamp – 15 cm high salt or sugar shaker from the Heidenreichstein flea market

The holes in the shaker head are uneven – each one looks like it was punched by hand. This is where this brass shaker deviates from ordinary factory goods, and at the same time, it’s the most interesting thing about it. With representative tableware, one expects clean, even perforations. Here, someone primarily wanted one thing: for salt to come out.

Shape and Dimensions

• Height: 15 cm
• Base diameter: 6.5 cm
• Material: Brass, thin-walled
• Weight: very light when empty
• Construction: bulbous body on a wide base, removable shaker head

At 15 cm high, it is not one of the small table shakers. Shakers of this size were used where a lot of seasoning was done quickly: in kitchens, at inn tables, at buffets. In English-speaking countries, this form is called a caster or muffineer – it was used for salt as well as for sugar or coarse spices.

The Stamp on the Bottom

On the bottom is a small embossed lion. On metal objects, a lion is a common manufacturer's or quality mark; without further distinguishing marks, it cannot be assigned to a specific workshop. We therefore present it as what it is: a mark still awaiting identification. If you know what it is, please feel free to write to us.

Condition

Fully functional. The shaker head is removable, the body is complete, nothing is missing. The body has some light dents, as well as fine scratches and an uneven surface – the piece has been used, and it shows. We have not polished or un-dented anything.

Care

Brass tolerates warm water and a soft cloth. If you want to restore the shine, use a mild brass polish sparingly – the dark spots in the depressions give the shaker its depth; if you polish them away, it will look flat. Let it dry completely before refilling; salt and moisture will eventually attack brass.

Where to Put It

On an open kitchen shelf, on a set wooden table, next to other brass pieces. If you don't want to use it for salt, place a small bouquet of dried flowers in it or simply leave it where light falls on it.

Shipping

Shipping from Austria, carefully packaged. Price is for 1 piece.

Heidenreichstein, the annual flea market, on a September morning between old tools and older dishes. At some point, someone manually punched the holes into this head, one after another, and none of them are perfectly straight – that’s how you know this shaker was intended for a table and not for a display cabinet. The dents came later, from sliding over wood and from hurried grabbing. Some things become beautiful because they were never spared.

Honest brass, honestly used — objects with soul · VintageAustriaShop