That's a nef

 

But what, you may ask, the hell is it? According to Arts and Crafts in the Middle Ages,

The silver ship was commonly an immense piece of plate, containing the napkin, goblet, and knife and spoon of the host, besides being the receptacle for the spices and salt. Through fear of poison, the precaution was taken of keeping it covered. This ship was often known as the "nef," and frequently had a name, as if it were the family yacht! One is recorded as having been named the "Tyger," while a nef belonging to the Duke of Orleans was called the "Porquepy," meaning porcupine.

When a nef held salt,  it was used to determine where diners were placed: honored guests above the salt, poor relations and retainers below the salt.

The word nef  is  Middle French for ship. (The modern French descendant is navire.) As a word for the table ornament, it was never fully naturalized into English, but an alternative meaning did develop into a common English word -- nave, as in the nave of a church:

Architecturally the central, open space  of a church, west of the choir or chancel, and separated therefrom by a low wall or screen.  . . .  Colloquially, the term is used to indicate that portion of a church reserved for worshippers . . . .  The name is derived from the Latin navis [via Middle French nef -- gh], a ship, possibly with some reference to the "ship of St. Peter" or the Ark of Noah .

Comments

[MC]

Mermaid? Where's the turtles?