This piece is probably a salt cellar that is part of the Treasure of Dauphin.
In France, the dauphin was the prince who would inherit the throne of the king.
It is one of the most beautiful and eye-catching pieces in this collection of precious vessels.
A golden mermaid connects the vessel and the base.
The mermaid has the body of a woman with 2 fishtails.
It is adorned with rubies and diamonds, and the tail is made of multicoloured enamel.
The vessel and the base are made of agate, a precious stone used for decorations.
4 dolphin heads support the cup.
All elements of the cup are related to the sea because it refers to the origin of the salt in the vessel.
The vessel had 184 gems, including 5 diamonds and 179 rubies.
But 3 diamonds and 2 rubies were lost.
Funded with the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRPP) , Spain’s Next Generation EU financing and according to the initiatives within the component C.24.I3 Digitization and valorization of major cultural services. The project is part of Campus Prado within Accessibility and Signage: Revitalization of the Urban Environment action line and as a universal accessibility activity.
