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Table caster, made of silver with glass bottles inside.
casters (vessels)
silver (metal)
Vessel, Condiment
Caster
Caster
"Cherished Possessions": This table caster held bottles containing salt, pepper, probably sugar, perhaps oil, vinegar, and catsup. Caster sets were popular between about 1840 and 1890, and most dining tables had a caster of some sort. Decorated with symbols of bounty, this one is a patented revolving design with doors that open and close simultaneously. Fundamentally useless extra steps like opening doors, turning the caster to reach the appropriate bottle, and then closing the doors again were considered the epitome of luxury.
Roswell Gleason and Sons (Maker)
17 x 9 x 8 7/8 (HxWxD) (inches)
Museum Purchase with funds provided by Shreve, Crump & Low
1984.480
Massachusetts (United States)
Dorchester (Boston, Suffolk county, Massachusetts) [neighborhood]
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