A Rare Mid 19th Century Anglo-Chinese Padouk Wood Rectangular Tea Caddy Having Attractive Silver Plate Mounted Decoration Throughout, The Hinged Lid Enclosing Two Lidded Divisions, With Original Ring Handles To Sides, Raised On Original Turned Feet.

This is a quite an unusual tea caddy which would have originated from 19th century China, probably made specifically for the Western market, as was common in the 18th century as well.

The mounts appear to be silver plated and the wood which it is made from is Padouk, which is a common feature of both anglo-indian and anglo-chinese antique furniture.

Tea was a precious commodity throughout the 18th and 19th centuries and the purpose of a tea caddy was not just to preserve the and extend the life of the precious tea leaves, but also to enable the owner to lock away those aforementioned valuable tea leaves, keeping them safe from the house staffs potential wandering hands.

As with all the items which we offer for sale this tea caddy has been inspected and attended to in our workshops by our highly skilled, trained antique furniture restorers to ensure its in the best possible condition before being placed on sale.

It has also received a natural wax polish and comes supplied with working lock and key.

Circa 1860.

Height 5in.
Width 8in.
Depth 4.75in.