This is a whimsical and fully functional salt and pepper shaker set from the early part of the 20th century. I've owned this piece for about 10 years and have always figured it to be one-of-a-kind. There are at least 2 of these which are identical, and maybe even more.
That makes at least 3 known by me Which means that someone set up a jig or a form to stamp out the copper hulls in a consistent size and shape. The hull halves are soldered together and a flat bottom plate is soldered on to complete the hull. All solder seams are then copper plated to match the rest of the hull (a sign of good quality). And the S&P shakers themselves are well-machined from heavy solid brass and then chromed. Attention to detail is everywhere you look.
Grommets are cleverly used to create the 12 cabin portholes. Additional grommets line the 2 anchor chain hawspipes or mooring chocks at the bow. Rimmed brass receivers are set into the roof of the deck-house to accept the S&P shakers, cleverly designed as the two smokestacks, of this worthy ocean cruiser. And the smokestacks themselves are nicely turned and detailed.This is a substantial assembly weighing in at 2 # 3oz. It measures about 8 1/2" stern to bow, a little over 5" tall, 2 3/4 at the beam. Each shaker is 1 1/4" diameter and 2 3/4" tall. This piece is shop-produced, as indicated by the other identical pieces mentioned above, but finished by hand. There are slight variations and irregularities in the brass and copper trim as you would expect from something hand-worked, but with the exception of a little corrosion at the bottom of the shakers (see pictures) and a missing brass screw (under a shaker) guaranteed to be in excellent, as-made condition.
This is the most interesting and fun collector S&P set I've ever seen, hands down. It is extremely well conceived, well proportioned and well made.
This set would be the keystone of most S&P collections, and would make a cherished Christmas gift for your favorite collector. I've been collecting for 40+ years and price items to sell at fair and competitive prices.
If you have additional information about an item, or any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for looking at my auctions. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Kitchen & Home\Kitchen Tools & Gadgets\Salt & Pepper Shakers". The seller is "mishunhunter" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped to United States.