Six salt workers in ceremonial costumes, with heads and hands made of lacquered wood; four men wearing hats and two women in yellow and red dresses; the costumes are made of small shells finely assembled (some missing, some with mold). Salt worker’s craft, 19th century. Height: 22 to 26 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.