In the context of this artwork, discuss the Historical context, commission, and technique of the The Salt Cellar.
In the 1530s, Benvenuto Cellini was known as a coin maker, but once he entered the service of Cardinal Ippolito d'Este in Rome, he began to make larger and bolder pieces. He then worked for many prominent figures in his career, including King Francis I of France (r.1515-1547), and later in Florence for the Medici ruler Duke Cosimo I (r.1537-1569).  While living at the French King's court, Cellini made the salt cellar, along with the assistance of five other artists (two from Italy, two from France, and one artist from Germany). Cellini reported in his Vita that the price for the completed sculpture was 1,000 scudi. Many other Renaissance goldsmithery works, including several made by Cellini (known to us solely because of his descriptions in his autobiography), were melted down. This piece was almost melted down and destroyed in 1562, but managed to avoid the fate of so many other gold sculptures from the Italian Renaissance.Cellini's overall technique in designing the salt cellar for King Francis I stemmed from methods that he learned from Caradosso (Cristoforo Foppa).  He noticed that Caradosso would, "make a little model in wax of the size he wished his work to be." Eager to make an art piece more grand and dissimilar than Caradossos', Cellini utilized the idea of making a wax model. The end product was based on a model that Cellini had originally created for Ippolito d'Este. The Cellar was not only magnificently crafted, but it also served an important political role for Frances I and his court in the 1540s. The Saliera was designed to be the artistic symbol of the French king's domestic and international policies. The substantial power of the court is demonstrated through access to rare condiments such as salt and pepper that had been of great interest to Europeans.
Benvenuto Cellini Francis I of France salt cellar Renaissance Caradosso Italian Duke Cosimo I Ippolito d'Este Cristoforo Foppa