Tea Caddy thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Tea Caddy

1929-1939 (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Unknown (manufacturers)
Place of origin
England (manufactured)

Tea caddy made from brown Bakelite, the cannister-shaped body rests on three pointed feet. There is a band of vertical ribs near the base and around the edge of the lid. It is marked on the side with the word 'Tea' in script within a cartouche. The screw-on lid has a central dome and four angled wings with cartouches between.


Object details

Categories
Plastic
Containers
Household Objects
Object type
Tea caddy
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Tea Canister Body
  • Teapot Canister Cover
Materials and techniques
Compression-moulded Bakelite
Bakelite
Phenolic
Compression Moulding
Brief description
Tea caddy with lid; brown Bakelite; unknown manufacturer, probably England, late-1920s-1930s
Physical description
Tea caddy made from brown Bakelite, the cannister-shaped body rests on three pointed feet. There is a band of vertical ribs near the base and around the edge of the lid. It is marked on the side with the word 'Tea' in script within a cartouche. The screw-on lid has a central dome and four angled wings with cartouches between.
Dimensions
  • Width: 10.7cm
  • Height: 6.7cm
  • Height: 14.1cm
Style
Art Deco
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Tea' (Moulded on side)
  • 'REGISTRATION APPLIED FOR; BRITISH MAKE'
Object history
Fred Bulmer, a collector based in Leeds, Yorkshire, offered his collection of ‘plastic antiques’ to the V&A in late 1982. The Museum chose to purchase 59 objects from Bulmer the following year (for acquisition papers see MA/1/B3395). The objects were divided among the Museum’s collections according to object type: Furniture and Woodwork taking 26 objects (W.50 to 75-1983), Metalwork 18 objects (M.49 to 66-1984) and Ceramics and Glass 14 objects (C.41 to 54-1984).
Historical context
Similar cannisters were also available marked 'coffee' and 'sugar'.
Bibliographic reference
p.56 Sylvia Katz, Plastics (London, 1978)
Collection
Ceramics Collection
Accession number
C.50-1984

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O308733/tea-caddy-unknown/
Download as: JSON