18th Century Glass Sifter c1790

Description

Heading :18th century pepper sifter
Date : c1790
Period :  George III
Origin : English
Colour : Clear
Lid : Shefield silver plate
Bowl : Slice cut with bands of tulips and olives
Foot : Scallop cut
Pontil : Star cut
Glass Type : Lead
Size : 8 ½ inches tall and 2 3/4 inches in diameter
Condition : Excellent. no chips or cracks. a single small hole at the base of the silver plate cap.
Restoration : None
Weight : 350 Grams

Additional Information : These are frequently and erroneously referred to as sugar casters or sifters. They may well be used for this purpose nowadays however they were intended for serving pepper firstly ground in a pestle and mortar. Sugar was sold in “loaves” until the late 19th century. sugar cubes and granulated simply didnt exist until . Sugar loaves were conical .  this is why sugar loaf mountain is so named. The loaves were cut into smaller pieces with sugar nips. This may well have been ground further to use in a sifter. however the literature of the period refers to pepper sifters.  Refined and “powders of sugars” were not available in England until after 1830 and the reign of William IV following the invention of steam powered methods of refining. In the 18th century sugar sifters were ladle-shaped spoons. with perforated bases and were used in conjunction with sugar bowls and sugar baskets.