1770-1771

Cruet Stand

This stand---in a style typical of eighteenth-century cruet stands---holds two glass bottles (cruets) for oil and vinegar, two casters with pierced lids for pepper and spices, and a caster with a solid lid for mustard. The notion of grouping containers for spices and condiments dates to the seventeenth century. However, it was in the eighteenth century that this type of tableware became popular with the gentry and the prosperous middle class, offering an alternative to the more expensive, elaborate centerpieces that would have accommodated these elements in addition to a tureen or bowl.