A pair of salt workers in ceremonial costumes; the heads and hands are made of lacquered wood, and the costumes are composed of small seashells finely assembled and accented with sequins (missing pieces, mold). Salt worker’s craft, 19th century. Height: 38 cm Note: Originating in Batz-sur-Mer in the late 17th century to adorn church altars with floral arrangements, this craft of creating shell figurines depicting salt workers gradually lost its religious function and became purely decorative around 1820. It actively contributed to the region’s economic growth until 1880 and also helped spread the image and folk traditions of this community far beyond its borders.