Dome Tea Caddy
Antique Mid-19th Century English Victorian Tea Caddies
Ash
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Tea Caddies
Brass
Antique 1840s Indian Anglo-Indian Tea Caddies
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood
Antique Early 19th Century English William IV Tea Caddies
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Tea Caddies
Brass
Antique 19th Century English Chippendale Tea Caddies
Silver Plate
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Tea Caddies
Brass
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Tea Caddies
Crystal, Brass
Antique 19th Century English Regency Tea Caddies
Crystal, Brass
Antique 19th Century English Regency Tea Caddies
Crystal, Brass
Antique Mid-19th Century English Victorian Decorative Boxes
Brass
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Decorative Boxes
Brass
People Also Browsed
Antique Early 1900s Italian Decorative Boxes
Marble
Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Decorative Boxes
Rosewood
2010s Tea Caddies
Marble, Metal
2010s American Post-Modern Decorative Boxes
Paint, Paper
Mid-20th Century Indian Decorative Boxes
Marble
Mid-20th Century Unknown Egyptian Revival Jewelry Boxes
Marble
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
Felt, Wood
2010s American Post-Modern Decorative Boxes
Paint, Paper
Antique Early 19th Century English William IV Jewelry Boxes
Silver, Sterling Silver
Antique 1880s English Victorian Decorative Boxes
Brass
Antique Mid-19th Century English Regency Decorative Boxes
Brass, Pewter
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Decorative Boxes
Marble, Brass
Antique Late 19th Century American Decorative Boxes
Glass, Fruitwood, Rosewood
Antique Early 19th Century British George IV Decorative Boxes
Wood
Mid-20th Century Indian Anglo Raj Decorative Boxes
Marble
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Historical Memorabilia
Metal
Recent Sales
Antique Early 19th Century English Tea Caddies
Yew, Burl
Antique Mid-19th Century Great Britain (UK) Regency Tea Caddies
Rosewood
20th Century European Victorian Tea Caddies
Ash
Early 20th Century Belgian Tea Caddies
Brass
Antique Early 19th Century English Tea Caddies
Metal
Antique Mid-19th Century Great Britain (UK) George III Tea Caddies
Brass
Antique 1870s Great Britain (UK) Victorian Tea Caddies
Brass
Antique 19th Century English Tea Caddies
Metal
Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Tea Caddies
Tortoise Shell, Velvet, Wood
Antique Early 19th Century English Georgian Tea Caddies
Bone, Tortoise Shell, Wood
Antique Early 19th Century English Georgian Tea Caddies
Brass
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Tea Caddies
Walnut
Antique 1880s English Victorian Tea Caddies
Ebony
Antique Late 19th Century French Tea Caddies
Brass
Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Tea Caddies
Shell
Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Tea Caddies
Ivory, Tortoise Shell
Antique Early 19th Century British Tea Caddies
Rosewood
Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Tea Caddies
Mahogany, Cut Glass
Antique Early 1900s English Edwardian Tea Caddies
Silver Plate
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Tea Caddies
Crystal, Brass
Antique Early 19th Century European Tea Sets
Boxwood
Early 20th Century English Tea Sets
Pewter
Antique Early 19th Century English Georgian Tea Caddies
Tortoise Shell
Antique Late 19th Century English Tea Caddies
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century English Georgian Tea Caddies
Silver
Antique Early 19th Century English Georgian Tea Caddies
Silver
Antique Late 18th Century English Georgian Tea Caddies
Tortoise Shell, Boxwood
Antique Late 18th Century English Georgian Tea Caddies
Yew
Antique Late 19th Century European Victorian Tea Caddies
Wood, Burl
Antique Late 18th Century English Georgian Tea Caddies
Yew
Antique 19th Century English Tea Caddies
Mother-of-Pearl, Silk, Wood
Antique 18th Century English Tea Caddies
Rosewood
Antique Late 19th Century Victorian Decorative Boxes
Brass
Antique 18th Century Chinese Chinese Export Ceramics
Porcelain
Antique 1870s English George III Tea Caddies
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Tea Caddies
Antique 18th Century Tea Caddies
Antique 19th Century British Tea Caddies
Tortoise Shell
Antique 19th Century British Tea Caddies
Antique 19th Century English Tea Caddies
Brass
Antique 1860s English Tea Caddies
Wood
Antique 1880s Great Britain (UK) Victorian Tea Caddies
Brass
Antique 1820s German Tea Caddies
Antique 19th Century British Boxes
Antique 19th Century British More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
Antique 19th Century English Boxes
Wood
Antique Late 18th Century English George III Tea Caddies
Antique Mid-19th Century English Tea Caddies
Brass
Dome Tea Caddy For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Dome 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.
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