Tea Caddy
1804 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The donor of this tea caddy told the V&A that her grandfather, Thomas Miniken, had made it in 1804. Miniken is an unusual name and he may have been the Thomas Minikin who worked for the furniture makers and retailers Gillows in Lancaster in 1798–1799. In 1827 a Thomas Miniken was the proprietor of a cabinet-maker's business in Soho, London – possibly the same man.
In 1804 this large box, with three compartments, would probably have been called a tea chest rather than a caddy. It is fitted with two small boxes or canisters, for different types of tea, on either side of a cut-glass bowl for mixing the teas. Thomas Miniken used a simple, standard form for the box, and its decoration is an uncomplicated geometric pattern, but his choice of such a wide range of tropical hardwoods for the marquetry enlivens the design considerably.
In 1804 this large box, with three compartments, would probably have been called a tea chest rather than a caddy. It is fitted with two small boxes or canisters, for different types of tea, on either side of a cut-glass bowl for mixing the teas. Thomas Miniken used a simple, standard form for the box, and its decoration is an uncomplicated geometric pattern, but his choice of such a wide range of tropical hardwoods for the marquetry enlivens the design considerably.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 4 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Mahogany, veneered in rosewood, satinwood, amboyna, kingwood and tulipwood, with a mixing bowl in cut glass |
| Brief description | Tea caddy of mahogany veneered with several woods, the interiors set with two caddies and a cut-glass mixing bowl |
| Physical description | A rectangular tea caddy, of mahogany veneered with rosewood, satinwood, amboyna, kingwood and tulipwood, the top, front and inside of the lid with a marquetry design of an oval. The caddy is set inside with two small caddies flanking a cut-glass mixing bowl. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Given by Mrs M.M. Meek |
| Summary | The donor of this tea caddy told the V&A that her grandfather, Thomas Miniken, had made it in 1804. Miniken is an unusual name and he may have been the Thomas Minikin who worked for the furniture makers and retailers Gillows in Lancaster in 1798–1799. In 1827 a Thomas Miniken was the proprietor of a cabinet-maker's business in Soho, London – possibly the same man. In 1804 this large box, with three compartments, would probably have been called a tea chest rather than a caddy. It is fitted with two small boxes or canisters, for different types of tea, on either side of a cut-glass bowl for mixing the teas. Thomas Miniken used a simple, standard form for the box, and its decoration is an uncomplicated geometric pattern, but his choice of such a wide range of tropical hardwoods for the marquetry enlivens the design considerably. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.30: 1 to 4-1929 |
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| Record created | May 13, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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