Tea Canister
1795-1800 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
Tea canisters were containers for storing tea-leaves. They are often called 'caddies' today, a name that came into use about the time this one was made.In the 18th century, tea was usually made in front of family and guests by the lady of the house and not in the kitchen. Like other tea utensils, canisters are therefore often highly decorative. Initially, tea was an expensive luxury confined to the wealthy, but became more widely drunk as prices fell during the 18th century. Writing about the time this tea canister was made, Sir William Eden noted that 'in poor families tea ... is not only the usual beverage, in the morning and the evening, but is generally drunk in large quantities even at dinner.' This canister, however, would have been a luxury available only to the comparatively wealthy.
Materials & Making
The canister is made of Jasper, a fine-grained stoneware developed by the Staffordshire potter Josiah Wedgwood as a result of thousand of experiments carried out in the 1770s. He did not protect his invention with a patent and it was soon copied by other factories.
Tea canisters were containers for storing tea-leaves. They are often called 'caddies' today, a name that came into use about the time this one was made.In the 18th century, tea was usually made in front of family and guests by the lady of the house and not in the kitchen. Like other tea utensils, canisters are therefore often highly decorative. Initially, tea was an expensive luxury confined to the wealthy, but became more widely drunk as prices fell during the 18th century. Writing about the time this tea canister was made, Sir William Eden noted that 'in poor families tea ... is not only the usual beverage, in the morning and the evening, but is generally drunk in large quantities even at dinner.' This canister, however, would have been a luxury available only to the comparatively wealthy.
Materials & Making
The canister is made of Jasper, a fine-grained stoneware developed by the Staffordshire potter Josiah Wedgwood as a result of thousand of experiments carried out in the 1770s. He did not protect his invention with a patent and it was soon copied by other factories.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Jasper with blue stain and applied reliefs |
| Brief description | Tea caddy and cover, blue unglazed stoneware with decoration in white applied moulded relief. English, Staffordshire, Lane End, factory of John Turner, c.1780. |
| Physical description | Jasper tea canister |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by J.A. Tulk |
| Object history | Made at Josiah Wedgwood's Brick House pottery, Burslem, Staffordshire |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Object Type Tea canisters were containers for storing tea-leaves. They are often called 'caddies' today, a name that came into use about the time this one was made.In the 18th century, tea was usually made in front of family and guests by the lady of the house and not in the kitchen. Like other tea utensils, canisters are therefore often highly decorative. Initially, tea was an expensive luxury confined to the wealthy, but became more widely drunk as prices fell during the 18th century. Writing about the time this tea canister was made, Sir William Eden noted that 'in poor families tea ... is not only the usual beverage, in the morning and the evening, but is generally drunk in large quantities even at dinner.' This canister, however, would have been a luxury available only to the comparatively wealthy. Materials & Making The canister is made of Jasper, a fine-grained stoneware developed by the Staffordshire potter Josiah Wedgwood as a result of thousand of experiments carried out in the 1770s. He did not protect his invention with a patent and it was soon copied by other factories. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.112&A-1956 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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