A pair of salt workers in traditional costume; the heads, arms, and legs are made of lacquered wood, and the costumes are composed of small, finely assembled seashells (numerous missing pieces, mold). Salt worker’s craft, 19th century. Height: 28 cm Note: First appearing in Batz-sur-Mer in the late 17th century to adorn church altars with floral arrangements, this craft of 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.