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A pair of late Victorian or Edwardian square pyramid porcelain salt and pepper shakers featuring a pale yellow-green celadon-tinted background with hand-painted pink and white rose motifs and green foliage. Each piece is designed with a gilded domed top pierced with multiple shaker holes. There are no manufacturing marks present on the bottom and neither piece is signed.
During the period spanning from 1870 to WWI in 1910, pieces of this nature reflect a popular upper-middle and upper-class domestic pastime where women of leisure engaged in amateur or parlor china painting, decorating imported white porcelain blanks with floral motifs for home display or gifting. Regarding their original utility, such decorative tableware items were typically produced for actual dining use on formal tables, though many delicate or heavily gilded sets served primarily as decorative vanity or tabletop ornaments depending on the household preferences of the era.
Note: due to the delicate nature of the antique overglaze hand painting and gold gilding, these shakers should not be washed as moisture and cleaning could result in a permanent loss of the painted details.
Condition: excellent antique condition. The porcelain structure, delicate hand-painted rose design, and rich gold gilding are all remarkably well-preserved with no chips, cracks, or major wear. These shakers do not include cork stoppers.
Combined Weight: 4.7 oz
Single Shaker Dimensions: 3-1/2\" high, 3\" square
Cork Opening Measurement: 1/2\"
