Antique Box Caddy
19th Century Indian Agra Antique Box Caddy
Brass
1890s Arts and Crafts Antique Box Caddy
Cedar
19th Century English Chinese Export Antique Box Caddy
Pewter
Early 20th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Antique Box Caddy
Brass
Late 19th Century Indian Agra Antique Box Caddy
Brass, Copper
1880s British Victorian Antique Box Caddy
Sterling Silver
19th Century Victorian Antique Box Caddy
Crystal, Brass
19th Century French Provincial Antique Box Caddy
Wood
Late 19th Century British Antique Box Caddy
Walnut
Early 19th Century European Georgian Antique Box Caddy
Softwood
Early 19th Century French Georgian Antique Box Caddy
Bronze, Enamel
1890s Antique Box Caddy
Boxwood
18th Century English Georgian Antique Box Caddy
Mahogany
19th Century American Rustic Antique Box Caddy
Wood
Late 19th Century English Edwardian Antique Box Caddy
Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Antique Box Caddy
Silver Plate, Brass
18th Century Dutch Baroque Antique Box Caddy
Brass
19th Century French Other Antique Box Caddy
Rosewood
19th Century British Regency Antique Box Caddy
Sterling Silver, Brass
Late 19th Century Antique Box Caddy
Bronze
Early 20th Century Chinese Antique Box Caddy
Wood, Lacquer
18th Century American Antique Box Caddy
Wood
19th Century Victorian Antique Box Caddy
Walnut
1820s British Regency Antique Box Caddy
Glass, Wood
Mid-19th Century British Regency Antique Box Caddy
Satinwood
1860s English Antique Box Caddy
Silver Plate
Early 19th Century Dutch Empire Antique Box Caddy
Silver
19th Century English Regency Antique Box Caddy
Brass
19th Century German Antique Box Caddy
Silver
19th Century English Regency Antique Box Caddy
Crystal, Brass
Late 18th Century British George III Antique Box Caddy
Boxwood, Tulipwood, Yew
1780s English George III Antique Box Caddy
Ivory, Mahogany, Satinwood, Paper
19th Century English Regency Antique Box Caddy
Crystal, Brass
1860s English Antique Box Caddy
Sterling Silver
1820s English Antique Box Caddy
Brass, Bronze
Early 20th Century Industrial Antique Box Caddy
Rubber
1890s American Dutch Colonial Antique Box Caddy
Silver Plate
Early 19th Century English Georgian Antique Box Caddy
Brass
19th Century French Victorian Antique Box Caddy
Brass
19th Century English Regency Antique Box Caddy
Brass
19th Century English Chippendale Antique Box Caddy
Silver Plate
Mid-19th Century British Antique Box Caddy
Wood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Box Caddy
Mahogany
Late 18th Century British George III Antique Box Caddy
Tin
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Box Caddy
Fabric
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Box Caddy
Boxwood, Harewood
Early 1800s English George III Antique Box Caddy
Silver
Early 19th Century English Georgian Antique Box Caddy
Brass
Early 19th Century English William IV Antique Box Caddy
Glass, Cut Glass
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Box Caddy
Boxwood, Tulipwood, Harewood
1820s English Antique Box Caddy
Glass, Wood
Late 18th Century British George III Antique Box Caddy
Brass
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Box Caddy
Mahogany
18th Century English Georgian Antique Box Caddy
Boxwood, Satinwood, Tulipwood
1870s English Antique Box Caddy
Silver
Early 19th Century European Regency Antique Box Caddy
Ivory, Tortoise Shell
19th Century English Victorian Antique Box Caddy
Silver
1870s English Antique Box Caddy
Silver
Late 18th Century Danish Rococo Antique Box Caddy
Pewter
Early 19th Century English Antique Box Caddy
Brass
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Antique Box Caddy For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Antique Box 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.
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