Salt & Pepper-Shaken or Spooned?

One of the ways to bring variety to the table is to display holloware pieces reminiscent of a particular period.  An example is the way butter is distributed on the table.  If you want to display a post WWII American table (1950s & later), you would have a covered butter dish rather than butter pats on the table.

The same can be said for salt & pepper holloware.  Prior to the mid 20th century, tables commonly used salt cellars and pepper shakers rather than salt & pepper shakers as used today.  A salt cellar is a small open bowl containing salt with a small spoon to spread the salt on the food.  The companion pepper shaker to the salt cellar is exactly like those used today albeit the design was contemporary for the time.

Thus, changing out a few of the holloware pieces on the table is one way to give variety to the table and bring a historical perspective as well.

One advantage to using a sterling silver salt cellar vs. a salt shaker is that you don't have to be concerned with corrosion as much.  Sterling silver salt shakers (and pepper as well) need to be taken apart after each use and cleaned.  Otherwise, you end up with a top that becomes pitted over time.  The inside of the screw top is especially prone to tarnish and eventually becoming stuck.  Periodic attention will remedy this problem.