Tiffany & Co | Sterling Silver Capstan Salt Shaker & Pepper Grinder | Vintage

Tiffany & Co | Sterling Silver Capstan Salt Shaker & Pepper Grinder | Vintage

Salt and pepper are asked for at almost every meal, which makes these among the most handled pieces of silver a household owns.

Tiffany & Co was founded in New York in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young, beginning as a stationery and fancy goods shop before becoming one of the best-known names in silver and jewellery. In 1851 the firm adopted the British sterling standard of 925 parts silver per thousand, and the word “Sterling” alongside the Tiffany & Co name became its mark of quality on American silver. Small table pieces such as these, made for everyday use, have long been among the most widely collected Tiffany silver.

The pair is of matching capstan form: a waisted, spool-shaped body with a broad moulded rim at the top and a stepped, moulded base, left plain and polished throughout. The salt shaker has a flat top pierced with five holes in a cross pattern. The pepper grinder has a knurled adjusting knob at the top, and its base reveals the wooden body and steel bar of the grinding mechanism. The salt shaker is marked TIFFANY & CO / STERLING / 7 underneath; the pepper grinder is marked TIFFANY & CO. and STERLING around the base.

Good vintage condition. Both pieces show light surface marks consistent with age and use. There is localised spotting and discolouration to the underside of the salt shaker, visible in the photographs. No dents have been identified. The pepper grinder mechanism is in working order and incorporates non-silver components.

• Maker: Tiffany & Co
• Marks: Salt shaker – TIFFANY & CO / STERLING / 7; pepper grinder – TIFFANY & CO. / STERLING
• Material: Sterling silver; pepper grinder with wooden body and steel grinding mechanism
• Form: Capstan-form salt shaker and pepper grinder
• Weight: 135 g combined (salt shaker 84 g; pepper grinder 51 g, including mechanism)
• Condition: Good; light surface marks; localised spotting to the salt shaker base; no dents; grinder in working order
• Buyer profile: Collectors of Tiffany & Co silver; buyers looking for practical silver for the dining table; those seeking a gift from a recognised name

Collector Appeal

Tiffany table silver is collected around the world, and small working pieces like these are among the easiest ways to own and use it every day. The plain design suits both traditional and contemporary tables, and their closely matched capstan forms make them an appealing pair, bringing together the practical functions of a salt shaker and pepper grinder.

Grand silver tends to live in a cabinet. Salt and pepper live on the table, passed from hand to hand at every meal, and that is where good silver earns its keep.