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Tea canister
unknown - Enlarge image
Tea canister
- Place of origin:
Staffordshire, England (made)
- Date:
1760-1765 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
unknown (production)
- Materials and Techniques:
Earthenware, with a lead glaze stained with metal oxides
- Credit Line:
Bequeathed by Mr Arthur Hurst
- Museum number:
C.16-1940
- Gallery location:
British Galleries, room 118e, case 3
Object Type
Tea canisters were containers for storing tea-leaves. They are often called 'caddies' today, a name that derives from the Malay word for a measure of weight (kati) equivalent to about half a kilogram. In mid-18th century Britain tea not made in the kitchen, but in front of the family and guests by the lady of the house. Like other tea utensils, canisters are therefore often highly decorative.
During the 18th century, as its price gradually fell, tea ceased to be an expensive luxury and became more widely drunk. In 1784 import duties were drastically reduced. These changes were reflected in the increasing size of the containers over the course of the century.
Design & Manufacture
Ceramics with naturalistic moulded decoration were very popular in mid-18th century Britain. This cauliflower canister was made by pressing wet clay into a hollow two-piece plaster mould bearing the shape in reverse. The seam from the mould down the side of the canister is clearly visible. The hollow moulds for making this piece were formed using a convex master model of the shape. The master model would have been made in stoneware, probably by a specialist block-maker.
