Obviously, these are pretty small cellars for a house, but just the right size for a small heap of salt. As it turns out, “salt cellar” is a bit rendundant, since the cellar part comes down from the Latin salarium. So it’s a salt thing-for-your-salt.
I’m being definitive on the dating to the Edwardian period, because the back of the case bears the label of Carrington, noting their service to His Majesty [Edward] and Her Majesty Queen Alexandra. As usual, Wikipedia serves up things of interest. Her nephew was Kaiser Wilhelm II, and her son, of course, was George V. I’m sure it made for awkward family dinners during the Great War.
Photo by Americana.