This two-chambered saltcellar is one of three known works by the same artist, who was a gifted member of Benin’s royal guild of ivory carvers, the igbesanmwan. Each object includes distinctive depictions of Portuguese horsemen; the horse on the lid of this piece probably also once carried a rider. In 16th-century Europe, salt was a luxury commodity that only the wealthiest could afford. Exotic saltcellars made of precious ivory preserved the valuable grains and reflected the affluence and worldliness of their owners.