Ceramic owl-shaped salt shakers: rare 19th-century items

A naturalistic owl figurine, painted and mounted on a domed base. Height: 4 1/4 inches (10.8 cm). Another porcelain sand shaker (sander), manufactured by the Kuznetsov Porcelain Factory, Tver, mid-19th century. A stylized owl on a bright base, with a cork stopper on the underside and a blue factory mark. Height: 5 1/8 inches (13 cm). In the 19th century, documents were sprinkled with powder or sand to accelerate ink drying and prevent smudging. Sand shakers typically contained powdered sandarac gum or fine sand, though coarser sand could also be used. For sand shakers, see Joe Nickell, "Pen, Ink, and Evidence" (New Castle, 2003).