$1,157Sale Price|20% Off
Fine Rolled Paper Tea Caddy
Located in Folkestone, GB
A fine quality rolled/scrolled paperwork single compartmemt tea caddy in good originl condition with minor losses. Decorated all-over with applied scrolls of gilt edged and coloured ...
Paper
Georgian Octagonal Inlaid Tea Caddy
Located in Greenwich, CT
Fine George III octagonal tea caddy inlaid with various woods on a harewood ground, the central panels veneered with coucous wood and banded by holly stringing around a kingwood band...
Ebony, Kingwood, Harewood, Holly, Burl
19th c. English Chinoiserie Tea Caddy
Located in Dallas, TX
The 19th c. English Chinoiserie Tea Caddy is a decorative collectible box designed to store tea.
Wood
19th Century English Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy
Located in Tampa, FL
A handsome 19th century English tortoiseshell tea caddy, beautifully crafted with sterling silver trim and a matching sterling silver escutcheon.
Silver
$1,250Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Tea Caddy, English, Satinwood, Box, Mixing Glass, Regency, circa 1830
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique tea caddy. An English, rosewood and satinwood container with glass mixer, dating to the late Regency period, circa 1830. Delightful Regency period caddy with fi...
Satinwood
French 19th Century Rosewood Tea Caddy
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
An extraordinary French tea caddy from Riems, 19th century, made of solid rosewood.
Crystal
Antique English Georgian Tea Caddy with Tea Plant Inlay
Located in Northampton, GB
FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING Georgian tea caddy with tea plant inlay dating to circa 1790, of octagonal form veneered in harewood and decorated with finely executed marquetry throughout...
Wood, Boxwood, Harewood
Antique English Georgian Harewood Tea Caddy
Located in Northampton, GB
FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING Georgian harewood tea caddy of elongated oval form, veneered in harewood with inlaid decoration and fitted interior. The exterior is finished in harewood, f...
Wood, Harewood
Chinese Export Black Lacquer Tea Caddy
Located in Tampa, FL
An early 19th century Chinese export black lacquer tea caddy, richly decorated with hand painted gilt scenes depicting traditional Chinese architecture, figures and flowering landsca...
Wood, Lacquer
Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy, England Circa 1820
Located in Dallas, TX
An exceptional early nineteenth-century tortoiseshell tea caddy of fine Georgian craftsmanship, presented in fabulous condition. Rich coloration and a beautiful natural patina highli...
Tortoise Shell
$1,320Sale Price|20% Off
English Georgian Rosewood Tea Caddy C1830
Located in Big Flats, NY
An English Georgian rosewood tea caddy, dating from circa 1830. This antique piece showcases the rich, dark tones and distinctive grain of rosewood, a highly prized timber during the...
Rosewood
English Regency Sarcophagus Shaped Tea Caddy
Located in Bradenton, FL
Early 19th Century Sarcophagus Shaped Mahogany Tea Caddy. Caddy is shaped box-like with a rectangular form and sloped sides, resembling ancient coffins.
Mahogany
19th Century English Penwork Tea Caddy
Located in Atlanta, GA
19th Century English Penwork Tea Caddy
Wood
Antique 18th-Century Georgian Burr Yew Tea Caddy—Elegant, natural wooden box
Located in Saint Helena, CA
Georgian artistry is evident in this tea caddy's details. It has a rectangular shape with canted corners.
Yew
Louis XIV Style Boulle Tea Caddy
Located in Bradenton, FL
Features a double caddy with grained wood lids. There is a key included with box.
Wood
19th Century Chinese Tea Caddy
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hand painted with chinoiserie motif. Original inserts with etching.
Zinc
$670Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Dome Top Tea Caddy, English, Burr Walnut, Box, Gothic Taste, Victorian
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique dome top tea caddy. An English, burr walnut and brass capped loose leaf box, dating to the late Victorian period, circa 1880.
Walnut
Georgian Original Painted Sycamore Tea Caddy
Located in Northampton, GB
George III Circa 1785 From our Tea Caddy collection, we are delighted to offer this Rare Original Hand-Painted Sycamore Tea Caddy. The Tea Caddy of Octagonal form veneered in Sycamo...
Sycamore
English Regency Sarcophagus-Form Tea Caddy
Located in Bradenton, FL
English Regency Mahogany Tea Caddy. Tea Caddy is in the sarcophagus form with hinged lid concealing a three-section interior. Interior has a fitted glass mixing bowl in center, flank...
Mahogany
Quality antique Regency rosewood tea caddy
Located in Ipswich, GB
Quality antique Regency rosewood tea caddy, having a quality antique Regency tea caddy of rectangular shape with ring handles to the sides, a lift up lid opening to reveal a fitted i...
Rosewood
French Napoleon III Boulle Tea Caddy
Located in Northampton, GB
Single Tea Caddy Compartment From our Tea Caddy collection, we are delighted to bring to market this Antique French Boulle Tea Caddy. The Tea Caddy of square shape with slight bombe...
Bronze, Ormolu
Wonderful 835 Silver Tea Caddy lidded Box Can Christoph Widmann Germany handmade
Located in Berlin, DE
Antique 835 Silver Tea Caddy - lidded Box Christoph Widmann Germany handmade Half moon & crown Weight: 229 grams The condition can be seen in the pictures.
Silver
Antique Georgian Paper Scroll Tea Caddy
Located in Northampton, GB
Framed In Boxwood From our Tea Caddy collection, we are delighted to offer this exceptional Georgian Paper Scroll Tea Caddy. The Tea Caddy of elongated hexagonal shape framed in box...
Glass, Boxwood, Paper
19th Century Chinese Export Tea Caddy
Located in Charlottesville, VA
A black lacquered tea caddy. Great decoration and has interior compartment.
Wood, Paint
Antique Flame Mahogany Empire Tea Caddy Wooden Casket Box 19th century
Located in Sweden, SE
Rectangular shape mahogany veneered casket made in first half of 19th century presumably in Europe. High quality work of applied arts in Neoclassical (Biedermeier) style. The fork of...
Wood, Mahogany
Victorian Rosewood Inlaid Marquetry Tea Caddy
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
For sale is this 19th Century Victorian antique rosewood inlaid marquetry tea caddy sarcophagus-form box, in good condition with marquetry to the top and front with brass star carryi...
Rosewood
Wonderful German 800 Silver Tea Caddy
By G. None
Located in Bronx, NY
This vintage late 19th century German tea caddy is designed with a magnificent detailed repousse' floral motif.
Silver
$1,480Sale Price|20% Off
Regency Mahogany Sarcophagus form Tea Caddy
Located in Huntington, NY
Regency Mahogany sarcophagus form tea caddy. With Brass keyhole escutcheon.
Brass
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Regency Rosewood Sarcophagus Form Tea Caddy
Located in Huntington, NY
Regency rosewood sarcophagus form Tea Caddy. With circular Brass keyhole escutcheon plate.
Brass
Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy With Sunburst Design
Located in Dallas, TX
Circa 1870, English tortoiseshell tea caddy with sunburst design. It is absolutely the finest one I’ve ever owned! No cracks no restoration absolutely mint.
Tortoise Shell
19th Century French Boulle Tea Caddy
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Very fine. Early 19th century Napoleon tea caddy. Brass inlay. Crystal vessel (not original).
Crystal, Brass
19th Century Sea Captain's Tea Caddy
Located in Nantucket, MA
Early 19th century sea captain's tea caddy, circa 1830, made of coramandel wood gathered in the Spice Islands China Trade, with sailor's grommet-spliced rope becket handles. The inte...
Wood
English Regency Pagoda Form Tea Caddy
Located in Lyndhurst, NJ
Unusual pagoda form caddy finely figured veneers. Interior lids are original and match the exterior of the caddy, resting on brass ball feet
Tortoise Shell
18th Century Burr Thornwood Tea Caddy
Located in Lincolnshire, GB
A fine example of a burr thorn and crossbanded tea caddy of superb color and patina with the original brass handle and bracket feet, circa 1750.
Wood
Blue and Yellow Chinoiserie Tea Caddy
Located in New York, NY
Blue and yellow chinoiserie tea caddy. Charming Prattware shaped tea canister in a blue cast paste with blue, yellow and moss green decoration featuring a chinoiserie figure in high ...
Pottery
Oversized Antique Novelty Sycamore Apple Tea Caddy
Located in Northampton, GB
An oversized sycamore fruit form tea caddy dating to circa 1800, turned from solid sycamore with a rounded body and a natural patination acquired over more than two centuries. Likely...
Iron
$1,529Sale Price|40% Off
Antique Regency Rosewood Sarcophagus Tea Caddy With Separate Tea Compartments
Located in Reading, Berkshire
A tea caddy is a box, jar, canister, or other receptacle used to store tea.
Brass
Antique English Marquetry Inlaid Wood Large Tea Caddy Lined in Metal Desk Box
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique English Marquetry Inlaid Wood Large Tea Caddy / Desk Box Lined in Metal with Working Lock and Key.
Wood
English Sheffield Silver Plate Tea Caddy
Located in Tarry Town, NY
The tea caddy / box is in good condition . Minor wear consistent with age / use .
Silver Plate, Copper
Georgian Walnut Rectangular Tea Caddy 18th Century
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
An Extremely Attractive Mid 18th Century George II Period Rectangular Walnut Tea Caddy Having Boxwood Strung Decoration Throughout And Original Brass Swan Neck Handle To Hinged Lid E...
Walnut
Antique English Sterling Silver Tea Caddy - 1911
By Brook & Son, Edinburgh 1
Located in Bath, GB
A handsome hexagonal solid silver tea caddy created to mimic a Georgian wooden caddy with the top decorated with a fan "inlay". The centre of the fan is mounted with a folding finia...
Sterling Silver
Antique mid 19th Century Rosewood tea caddy
Located in Allentown, PA
This is a 19th century handmade Rosewood tea caddy. This tea caddy has his original glass disposable in the center with two compartments on either side. The tea caddy stands on four ...
Wood
19th Century English Blonde Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy
Located in Atlanta, GA
19th Century English Blonde Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy
Tortoise Shell
Antique Russian Solid Silver Chinoiserie Tea Caddy
By Victor Savinsky
Located in Northampton, GB
Rare Form with Chinoiserie Figures From our Tea Caddy collection, we are delighted to introduce to the market this rare example Russian Silver Chinoiserie Tea Caddy. The Tea Caddy ...
Silver
Antique Continental Novelty Pear Fruit Tea Caddy
Located in Northampton, GB
Novelty Fruit Caddy From our Tea Caddy collection, we are delighted to offer this Continental Pear Fruit Tea Caddy. The Tea Caddy turned in Sycamore shaped as a Pear fruit with globu...
Cut Steel
19th Century English Blonde Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy
Located in Atlanta, GA
19th Century English Blonde Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy
Tortoise Shell
English Regency Tea Caddy with Original Key
Located in Tampa, FL
A distinguished English Regency tea caddy, likely dating to the 1830s, featuring a red leather lined interior and a velvet bottom. The caddy retains its original twin tea holders and...
Wood
Fine quality antique George III tea caddy
Located in Ipswich, GB
Fine quality antique George III tea caddy, having a quality antique George III satinwood tea caddy with a lift up lid opening to reveal two removable compartments for tea and a glass...
Brass
19th Century Burl Walnut English Tea Caddy
Located in Tampa, FL
A refined 19th century English tea caddy crafted in richly figured burl walnut, showcasing exceptional grain movement and warm patina developed over time. Elegant ivory style accent ...
Ivory, Wood
Antique English Georgian Hexagonal Satinwood Tea Caddy
Located in Northampton, GB
Kingwood Inlay From our Tea Caddy collection, we are delighted to offer this Elongated Hexagonal Satinwood Tea Caddy. The Tea Caddy of stretched hexagonal shape with six matching pa...
Silver Plate
Fine quality antique Regency rosewood tea caddy
Located in Ipswich, GB
Fine quality antique Regency rosewood tea caddy, having a outstanding quality 19th Century rosewood and mother of pearl inlaid sarcophagus shaped tea caddy, with a quality carved mou...
Rosewood
English Regency Period Amboyna Wood Tea Caddy
Located in Lambertville, NJ
An English Regency Inlaid Amboyna Tea Caddy with brass mounts. The sarcophagus form with lion handles and scrolled feet. The interior with two compartments for tea with a replaced ...
Brass
Quality antique George III mahogany tea caddy
Located in Ipswich, GB
Quality antique George III mahogany tea caddy having a quality antique George III mahogany tea caddy with satinwood stringing inlay, with a lift up lid opening to reveal two lidded r...
Mahogany
Antique George III quality mahogany tea caddy
Located in Ipswich, GB
Antique George III quality mahogany tea caddy having a quality antique George III mahogany and satinwood inlaid stringing tea caddy with a lift up lid opening to reveal the original ...
Mahogany
Attractive antique Victorian quality rosewood tea caddy
Located in Ipswich, GB
Attractive antique Victorian quality rosewood tea caddy, having an attractive bombe sarcophagus form quality tea caddy, with a lift up lid opening to reveal a fitted interior with tw...
Rosewood
Antique Victorian Brass Mounted Coromandel Tea Caddy
Located in Ipswich, GB
Antique Victorian Brass Mounted Coromandel Tea Caddy with a fitted interior and working key.
Brass
English Silver Plate Tea Caddy / Thin Biscuit
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Mid 19th century English sheffield silver plate tea caddy / thin biscuit with exterior design details and attached covered top . The tea caddy is in good condition . Minor wear consi...
Silver Plate, Copper
Blonde Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy, England 19th Century
Located in Atlanta, GA
Blonde Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy, England 19th Century
Tortoise Shell
Georgian Burr Yew Conch Shell Tea Caddy
Located in Northampton, GB
Inlaid with Twin Conch Shells From our Tea Caddy collection, we are delighted to offer this beautiful antique Georgian Burr Yew wood Tea Caddy.
Yew
Quality Antique Willian IV Rosewood Tea Caddy
Located in Ipswich, GB
Quality antique 19th Century William IV rosewood tea caddy, having a quality shaped rosewood top opening to reveal a fitted interior of a glass tea mixing bowl and a tea lidded compa...
Rosewood
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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