Pair of Sugar Casters

Sugar was a rare commodity until the end of the 1500s and continued to be expensive long after that time. With a certain amount of ceremony, it was sprinkled in powdered form on fruit or other desserts from casters such as these unusually large ones. The silversmith Simon Gallien followed a traditional form for these casters, decorating them with flower blossoms in high relief, scrolls, and trelliswork piercing, all typical features of the Rococo style.