French Country · Encyclopedia · The Cabinetmakers' Work
Salt box
Salt boxes are found in many regions. Those in the book come from the South and Southeast: a large one on feet from Arles, a small one from the hills behind Nice and one engraved with rosettes typical of the Alps.
French: boîte à sel · South and Southeast
At a glance
- Regions shown: Arles, the Nice hinterland, the Alps
- Material: carved wood
- Relatives: Provençal bread and flour boxes
- Sign of age: an interior whitened and furry from salt
What it is
A small box with a hinged or sloping lid, usually hung near the fire where salt stayed dry. Salt was precious and heavily taxed in old France, which helps explain the care given to its container.
Regional styles
The largest box in the book, on feet, is from Arles and is the little sister of the richly carved Provençal bread and flour boxes. The smallest comes from the hinterland of Nice, and one engraved with rosettes is typical of the Alps.
Collecting and using one today
The book gives a simple test: an old salt box can be recognised by its interior, whitened and slightly furry from years of use. A clean, freshly varnished inside suggests a reproduction or restoration.
A salt box remains practical by the stove, or can hold matches and small items.
Source: Les Trésors de France: vieux métiers et objets d'autrefois (Éditions Rustica, Détours en France collection, 1995), pp. 124–129, with general background on the object. The book was published in 1995, so workshops, people and figures are described as they were then. Regional names and dates are given as the book records them; a style or a region of origin does not by itself date an individual piece.