Antique Wood Tea Caddy
19th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
1760s English George III Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Brass
Mid-17th Century Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
Mid-19th Century English Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
1820s Great Britain (UK) Regency Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Pewter
1830s English Georgian Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
19th Century Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Felt, Wood
1820s British Regency Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
1820s British Regency Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
Early 19th Century British Regency Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood, Boxwood
Early 19th Century English George III Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
1860s French Napoleon III Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Brass
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Brass, Bronze
1860s British Victorian Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
1790s English George III Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
1820s Scottish Regency Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Glass, Wood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
1820s British Regency Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Glass, Wood
19th Century English George IV Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Rosewood, Amboyna
1860s English Chinoiserie Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood, Lacquer
19th Century French Louis XIV Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Tin, Ormolu
19th Century English Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
Late 19th Century English Georgian Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
1860s British Victorian Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
Early 1800s English George III Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Foil
Early 19th Century English George III Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Brass, Zinc
1810s English George III Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Brass, Pewter
1820s English Folk Art Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
1850s English Early Victorian Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Burl
1870s British Victorian Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Tin
19th Century English Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Sterling Silver
19th Century English Victorian Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
19th Century English Georgian Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Yew
19th Century British Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood, Mother-of-Pearl, Paint
Late 19th Century European Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
Early 19th Century English British Colonial Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood, Velvet
Late 19th Century English Georgian Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
Mid-19th Century British Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
1890s English Victorian Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Sterling Silver
19th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
19th Century English Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Yew
Early 1800s English Regency Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Yew
19th Century Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood, Paint
1890s English Late Victorian Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Silver Plate
19th Century English Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
1780s English Georgian Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Brass
18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood, Burl, Paint, Paper
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Birch, Satinwood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Yew
19th Century English Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
1810s English Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
19th Century English Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Foil
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Yew
Mid-19th Century English Antique Wood Tea Caddy
Wood
- 1
Antique Wood Tea Caddy For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Antique Wood Tea Caddy?
Finding the Right Tea-caddies for You
There are lots of uses for your vintage, new or antique tea caddies, but they can certainly serve their original intended purpose if needed.
When tea first gained popularity during the 1800s, and teatime became commonplace in homes all over England, it was an expensive commodity owing to excessive taxation. (This, of course, inevitably yielded a black market for tea leaves.) Tea drinkers hoarded their precious goods, which began to arrive in London ports from China during the 17th century, under lock and key. In luxury homes, tea leaves were stowed away in a decorative jar or canister called a tea caddy that was fitted with a lock, or, alternatively, the container was kept in a secured chest or storage cabinet.
Tea was thought to be not just a delicious drink but also to have medicinal benefits. The Chinese had been praising the healthy properties of tea, and wealthy Europeans were eager to discover its benefits for themselves during their ritual afternoon tea. The idea of “teatime” wasn’t a social event in upper-class British homes until the 1830s or 1840s. During Queen Victoria’s reign, small baked treats might be served with your beverage, and teakettles and coffeepots were part of tea services that could include teacups, saucers, a milk pot and other accessories.
When tea cultivation was relegated to British colonies such as India, and the British East India Company could no longer hold onto its trade monopoly with China, tea was no longer a ritual confined to the wealthy. Today, antique and vintage tea caddies are collector’s items all over the world.
Tea caddies weren’t unique to Europeans. The earliest pieces originated in China. Surviving hand-painted examples from China or elsewhere in Asia made of porcelain might feature enameled landscapes or other designs. At the Taft Museum of Art, there are striking enameled 18th-century-era tea caddies of copper that were given to the institution in 2014. Wooden tea caddies materialized over time and were seen as sturdier than their ceramic counterparts.
Today, there are all kinds of ways to use a vintage tea caddy if you’re passing on tea. They’re a welcome decorative flourish on the mantel in your living room, for example. A metal tea caddy, lined with a plastic bag, can be used to cultivate an herb garden on your kitchen windowsill. An old wooden tea caddy can help keep your paper clips or pushpins organized on your desk too. If you’re always on the go, a tea tin is good for packing earbuds, hand sanitizer, gum or whatever else that might get easily lost in a roomy crossbody messenger bag or other shoulder bag.
Teatime or not, find antique and vintage mid-century modern tea caddies, tortoiseshell caddies and more on 1stDibs.
Read More
How a Craving for Color Revolutionized Glass
After synthetic dyes changed fashion, home goods and printed matter, it was only a matter of time till glass caught up.
Kazuyo Sejima’s Flowering Tree Blooms Year-Round
The brilliantly simple design turns a modest bouquet into a major statement.
He Wrote ‘Oedipus Rex,’ but Do You Know What He Looked Like?
The Greek tragedian is said to have been handsome in his day.
Cigar Culture Was Once the Peak of Masculinity. Now, It’s a Compelling Curiosity
Even for those who don’t indulge, elegant smoking accessories and audacious art portraying cigar enthusiasts hold a nostalgic allure.
African Travel Plans on Hold? This Ardmore Leopard Vase Brings the Beauty of the Savanna to You
It’s an excellent example of the sought-after ceramics coming out of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province.
With a High-Tech Flagship and Cool Collabs, Lladró Is Breaking the Mold for Porcelain Production
Thanks to its new leadership, the Spanish maker of figurines, busts and lighting is on a mission to update the art of porcelain for the 21st century.
Zoë Powell’s Magnolia 05 Vessel Is Handmade from Clay She Unearthed Herself
The free-form stoneware piece is inspired by the magnolia tree and its associations with home.
8 Ways to Breathe New Life into a Space with Plants
The pair behind the Instagram account @houseplantclub share their tips for making any room of the house gloriously green.