Terms and conditions of use
Cruet set
(c. 1780)
Medium
earthenware
Measurements
18.8 × 17.3 cm diameter (stand) 12.5 × 4.7 cm diameter (bottles) 10.8 cm height (castor) 12.8 cm height (mustard)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Patricia Begg OAM Bequest, 2024
© Public Domain
Gallery location
17th & 18th Century Decorative Arts & Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
The cruet was a pouring vessel and is thought to have ecclesiastical origins dating back to the medieval period, when altar cruets for wine and water were used as part of the Catholic mass. Cruets containing oil and vinegar for the table developed during the Renaissance, when salads became an important part of the meal. By the mid eighteenth century, cruet sets had developed to include a stand that held various bottles and casters, sometimes containing up to ten different receptacles. Liquids, such as oil, vinegar, mustard and sharply flavoured sauces, were stored in stoppered bottles or covered jugs, and dry condiments, such as spices, pepper and sugar, were dispensed from casters.