In olden times, salt was an essential preservative in all households. It was also an important seasoning and was kept in a variety of containers, the earliest being small wooden tubs.
When, at the end of the eighteenth century, earthenware came to be used, the shape of the container used to store salt was particularly distinctive. It was known as the "salt pig"; a glazed, cylindrical, shouldered jar rising to a small knob for carrying, with a large hooded opening resembling the snout of a pig.
The jars were stored in niches by the cooking range so the salt was always near to hand. Now that's handy. As the saying goes, 'A little pinch'll do ya.'
The Salt Pig (sm. $28.50/lg. $38.50) can be found in a variety of colors at Spoiled Rotten, located at 831 Elmwood Avenue.