Tea Caddy
ca. 1800 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Tea-drinking, introduced into Britain in the late 17th century, became widespread during the 18th century. Since tea caddies were placed on the table as tea was served, they were often highly decorative. A great variety of wooden caddies were made between 1780 and 1810 as tea became cheaper and more widely used. A. Hepplewhite & Co. published designs for both ‘tea caddies’ and ‘tea chests’, which were usually larger, in The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Guide, 1788 (2nd edition 1789, 3rd Edition 1794). This caddy is veneered in satinwood with shell motifs in marquetry on each side. It was only the second tea-caddy to come into the Museum's collection.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Wood, veneered in satinwood with marquetry in other woods; velvet |
| Brief description | Tea caddy, rectangular with angled corners, satinwood veneer with neoclassical marquetry shells, about 1800. |
| Physical description | Tea caddy, square with angled corners, veneered in satinwood with chequer-pattern stringing lines. On each side and inside the lid is an oval medallion enclosing a marquetry shell motif. Some of the veneer strips between the stringing lines along the edges show a faint green stain. The stringing lines are made up of contrasting woods providing a chequered effect. It has a hinged lid and one compartment inside. The base is lined with red velvet. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Object history | Purchased by the V&A in 1911 from the dealer, W. Mullins, 52 High Street, Salisbury [R.P. 11/4923]. No earlier history of the piece was recorded. The memos at the time of its purchase include the information 'The Museum possesses only one other box of this kind, which was bought at the beginning of the year'. |
| Historical context | Tea leaves were expensive, so were usually stored in lockable containers. Early tea containers were referred to as canisters, kept in locked boxes known as tea chests. Smaller wooden boxes with one or two fixed inner compartments for loose tea became popular from about 1780 onwards and by 1800 were generally known as tea caddies. The word 'caddy' is thought to derive from the Malay word for a measure of weight (kati) equivalent to about half a kilogram. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Tea-drinking, introduced into Britain in the late 17th century, became widespread during the 18th century. Since tea caddies were placed on the table as tea was served, they were often highly decorative. A great variety of wooden caddies were made between 1780 and 1810 as tea became cheaper and more widely used. A. Hepplewhite & Co. published designs for both ‘tea caddies’ and ‘tea chests’, which were usually larger, in The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Guide, 1788 (2nd edition 1789, 3rd Edition 1794). This caddy is veneered in satinwood with shell motifs in marquetry on each side. It was only the second tea-caddy to come into the Museum's collection. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.85:1, 2-1911 |
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| Record created | December 22, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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