Antique Salt Cellars Norway Sterling Enamel Figural Tine Grotambar Ambar by Gustav Hellstrom Rare

The two salt shakers are in the form of traditional Norwegian wooden buckets called tines or grotambars (lidded firkins) with rosemaling flowers on the sides and top. One has a blue theme, the other green. The main colors are cobalt blue, light blue, green, red, purple, and black.

The lid mechanism is quite ingenious: one side of the lid has a little metal eyelet on the underside along the edge, which lines up with a small hole in the top edge of the body of the salt cellar. A pin is attached to the handle with a short chain, and it fits through the hole and the eye to secure the lid to the body.

Each salt measures 1 5/8" wide by 1 3/8" tall. They are both marked on the underside with "Sterling 925S" and the mark for Gustav Hellstrom. The blue one is in excellent condition, the green is in very good condition with just a very few tiny fleabites (I counted 4 total) to the enamel.

An "ambar" is a porridge container used to store and carry Norwegian sour cream porridge (called "rommegrot"). Rommegrot was a popular gift to a mother after the birth of a child or for other special occasions.

Item ID: 17061201