Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
1750s British George II Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Boxwood, Satinwood, Tulipwood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Boxwood, Tulipwood, Harewood
Early 1800s English George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Silver
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Mahogany
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Mahogany
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Boxwood, Harewood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Boxwood, Yew
Early 1800s European Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Wood
Late 18th Century British George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Brass
Early 19th Century English William IV Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Glass, Cut Glass
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Rosewood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Mahogany
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Mahogany
Early 19th Century European Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Sycamore
Mid-18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Mahogany
Early 19th Century George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Steel
Late 18th Century British George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Boxwood, Tulipwood, Harewood
Early 1800s English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Paper
Mid-18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Mahogany
Late 18th Century British George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Cut Steel
19th Century European George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Sycamore
Late 18th Century English Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Mahogany
1780s English George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Ebony, Kingwood, Harewood, Holly, Burl
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Rosewood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Mahogany
Late 18th Century British Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 1800s English George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Sycamore
Early 1800s English George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Satinwood, Tulipwood, Yew
Mid-18th Century English Chippendale Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Mahogany
1780s English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Wood
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Yew
Early 1800s English George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Metal
Early 1800s English Neoclassical Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Brass
Early 1800s European George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Wood, Sycamore
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Mahogany, Oak
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Oak, Mahogany
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Ebony, Mahogany, Satinwood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Bone, Mahogany
1790s British Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Satinwood
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Boxwood, Satinwood, Harewood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Mahogany
18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Brass
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Oak, Burl
1780s British Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Mahogany
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Paper
19th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Wood
Early 20th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Brass
Early 1800s Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Silver
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Satinwood, Walnut, Sycamore, Boxwood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Brass, Metal
Early 19th Century Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Brass
1790s English George III Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Brass
Early 1800s English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Foil
Early 1800s English Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Foil
18th Century Irish Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Crystal, Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century British Georgian Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies
Elm, Cut Glass
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Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Antique Georgian Tea Caddy Tea Caddies?
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.