salt/pepper shaker

[Stegner]

I've found an area that has given up other early 1900's stuff - I found this shaker there - it's a bit pitted now - metal salt/pepper shaker with engraved design - one piece design - top is shiny silvery - there is one mold part line on one side only - looks like threads on the inside edge at the bottom where it would have been filled.
I don't think this is fine but wondered if anyone had any history on it - do people collect these? It's not in the finest of shape but there's some history to it.

 

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[Broken knee]

Sorry, I cant help date it but it does look to be pewter.
Broken Knee

 

[mojjax]

I wonder if it was once silver plated ?

 

[Stegner]

any ideas of the age?

 

[Monty]

My wife Kay collected salt and pepper shakers at one time and there were hundreds if not thousands of different types just made for collectors. Perhaps? Monty

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I feel that this is made of spelter (zinc) as opposed to pewter. I don't think it was part of a cruet condiment set (my opinion). The missing bottom portion probably screwed into the base to keep the salt or sugar in. I feel this might be the top portion of a sugar shaker.

 

[Copperhead]

Possible this might be what's left of a sand shaker rather than a salt shaker...

I posted one here I dug years ago.... The size of the holes in the top were larger than a typical salt or pepper shaker would be...

 

[Stegner]

I looked online but can't find a definition for a "sand shaker"- whats that?

 

[Copperhead]

Maybe that's not the right name for it....sand pounder maybe?... It was probably a few years ago when I posted it...I tried to find my old post but I don't have the search feature to find it...

It's looks similiar to a salt shaker but was used to shake sand over the paper to help blot up the ink when writing...I'll try to find the picture of it I have on my computer...

 

[Copperhead]

I guess these things were called lots of different things...

From Wikipedia...

Pounce is a fine powder that was sprinkled over wet ink to hasten drying prior to the invention of blotting paper. The powder was prepared from substances such as finely ground salt, sand, or powdered soft minerals such as talc or soapstone. A mixture of sandarac gum, and pumice or cuttlebone serves as pounce and can also be used for sizing paper and vellum.[1]

Pounce was commonly kept in a pounce pot, a small container resembling a salt shaker. Many pounce pots have concave lids to make it easier to return spare pounce to the pot.

Here's mine..