Sex, Curiosities – Hand-carved Boxwood Salt And Pepper Shakers – Curiosities - Folk Art

Second half of the 19th century

Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne, France

A very interesting and rare double salt-and-pepper shaker made entirely of carved and turned boxwood, a remarkable example of 19th-century Auvergne folk art.

The piece consists of two cylindrical containers joined around a tall central stem. The spindle, which is particularly intricately crafted, is entirely carved with a knife into successive bands of zigzags, herringbone patterns, and wolf’s teeth, and is topped with a meticulously turned knob.

The uniqueness of this piece lies above all in the remarkable decoration covering the two containers.

These are adorned with a succession of highly stylized vulval motifs, an explicit evocation of the female sex. Repeated regularly around the rim of the salt shaker and pepper shaker, these motifs can be linked to a symbolic vocabulary associated with fertility, fruitfulness, and sexuality.

Their presence on an everyday household object lends this piece a particularly unique character. The combination of a very simple utilitarian function and such assertive sexual iconography is one of its main points of interest.

Beyond its function as a salt-and-pepper shaker, this particularly suggestive iconography thus places the piece within the realm of curios, while also serving as an interesting testament to the presence and enduring nature of sexual and fertility symbols in certain examples of rural folk art.

The decoration on the central handle enhances the ornamentation of the piece as a whole. The various geometric patterns, deeply carved with a knife, offer a particularly interesting contrast to the more organic forms of the motifs on the containers.

The set as a whole demonstrates exceptionally meticulous craftsmanship. The regularity of the decoration, the finesse of the carving, and the quality of the turning far exceed the object’s purely utilitarian function.

The boxwood retains a beautiful, warm, and lustrous antique patina, which is particularly expressive on the protruding parts and highlights the depth of the carved decoration.

A rare piece that is particularly captivating for its iconography, the quality of its craftsmanship, and its unusual character, straddling the line between a household object, folk art, and a curiosity.

Condition: In good overall condition. Very beautiful, warm, and lustrous antique patina. A few visible old cracks, particularly on the central handle and the receptacles, consistent with the object’s age and use. The carved decoration is particularly well-preserved and clearly visible.

Dimensions:

11 cm

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