Today is World Bread Day. The holiday was established in 2006, on the initiative of the International Union of bakers and pastry-cookers. The choice of the date is due to the fact that on the 16^th of October 1945, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) was established, which was engaged in solving problems in the development of agriculture and its production.

Since ancient times, bread has been considered a sacred product and a symbol of life. Bread and salt – a combination of bread and salt, characteristic of their storage and use in everyday life and in rituals; a generalised name for food; a greeting addressed to the participants of a meal. Hospitality – a hearty welcome, willingness to host, treat and give dinner parties to guests.
The combination of bread and salt in all Slavic community, played the role of a capacious symbol, bread represents wealth and prosperity, and salt protects from malign forces and weird. The Russians were advised to eat a piece of bread with salt for happiness at the beginning and at the end of the dinner. Treating a guest with bread and salt established friendly and trusting relations between the guest and the host.

We are all familiar with the old Russian tradition of offering bread and salt in solemn situations. Bread and salt were honoured in Russia. People were glorified with bread and salt. Bread and salt began life in a new house, blessed the young at the wedding. Bread and salt were used to drive away the evil spirit...

Bread was not just food – it occupied an important place in both pagan rituals and the Orthodox faith. To this day, honoured guests in Russia are welcomed according to an ancient custom: with bread and salt, symbols of Slavic hospitality and cordiality.

Salt in Russia was a scarce and expensive product, it was valued and cherished. Salt was used instead of money and every grain was cherished. Since those times there is a superstition that scattered salt means a close quarrel.

In Ancient Greece they used to say that you can live without gold, but not without salt. From ancient times salt was a valuable commodity, and a dispute over salt mines was in those times a sufficient reason to start a war.

In ancient Rome, soldiers were paid with salt. It was given to a centurion (commander of a hundred) who exchanged the salt for food and distributed it to the soldiers. ‘Salt‘ was the allegorical name for Roman soldiers’ pay. The French word ‘salaire’, the English word ‘salary’, and the Spanish word ‘salario’ – mean ‘salary’. An additional factor in the high cost of salt was the salt tax, which existed until the 19^th century, with its abolition salt became more accessible to the general population.

In the culture of many peoples, salt was considered a sacred product. Slavonic peoples believes that that salt had many ceremonial functions, for example, it was considered the best remedy against evil eye and bedevil, so in the old days they tried to carry a bag of salt to protect against evil spirit and witchery.

The saltcellar was treated very carefully, it embodied the image of the house, prosperity and wealth of the family. The saltcellar occupied a sacred central place on the table, just as bread did. People strived to decorate a saltcellar, that had to be always full, so that everything in the house was prosperous, full saltcellar served as a hedge against evil forces. Before the invention of the modern saltcellar, salt was stored in bowls made of wood, glass or porcelain.

Until the middle of the 19^th century, a ‘saltcellar’ was usually a box for storing salt and spices. As a rule, they were made of glass, ceramics, wood or metal.

The salt shaker, which is widely used today, was developed by American John Landis Mason in 1858. It was then that he created a screw-top container with many small holes in it.

Salt played a special role in the Russian Empire. In 1648, the Salt Rebellion took place in Moscow because of high prices and l It wasn't until 1857 that a new set of laws, the Salt Statute, was formedб which regulated the work of the salt industry, controlled the quality of salt and the procedure for its storage and sale. Until 1881, salt was an excisable commodity that contributed significantly to the state treasury. After the excise tax was abolished, the price of salt fell sharply: before salt was sold at 50 kopecks – 1 rouble per 16.4 kilograms (pood), and after the abolition it cost 20-40 kopecks.
From simple clay pots to exquisite silver masterpieces, saltcellars have always reflected the taste and wealth of their owners. It was an important element of table arrangement and decoration.

The museum collection section ‘Decorative Art and Jewellery Art’ features the unique works by Russian jewellers of the late 19^th century, realized in the Historicism style, which was characterised by replication and repeating old forms, borrowing ornamental patterns from the art of bygone eras.

The thematic album “Saltcellars in the museum Collection exposition” is posted in the museum Photo Gallery.

On the cover: Saltcellar in the Russian style, with the monogram below the crown and dates: "1869", "1894". A. Lyubavin firm. Russian Empire, Saint-Petersburg. 1894