$1,644Sale Price|35% Off
Antique Regency Rosewood Sarcophagus Tea Caddy With Separate Tea Compartments
Located in Reading, Berkshire
As the use of the jar waned and the box became more popular, the provision of different receptacles for green and black tea was abandoned, and the wooden tea chest or caddy, with a l...
Brass
Antique English Mahogany Wooden Georgian Regency Double Tea Caddy 18h Century
Located in Dublin, Ireland
Impressive English Georgian Period Conch Shell Flame Grain Mahogany Single Teacaddy of outstanding quality and workmanship and compact size. Circa 1790. The hinged lid cross banded ...
Mahogany, Satinwood
Antique English Satinwood Wooden Georgian Regency Double Tea Caddy 19th Century
By Gillows of Lancaster & London
Located in Dublin, Ireland
Impressive English Georgian Sheraton Period Flame Grain Satinwood Double Tea Caddy of outstanding quality and workmanship and compact size. Circa 1800-20. The hinged lid cross band...
Mahogany, Satinwood
$6,250
Pear form Tea Caddy
Located in Huntington, NY
Late 18th Century George III Pear form Fruitwood Tea Caddy With wooden stem, and an iron keyhole, escutcheon plate, its interior with remnants of the original silver leaf. The pi...
Iron
Antique 18th-Century Georgian Burr Yew Tea Caddy—Elegant, natural wooden box
Located in Saint Helena, CA
Two hundred years of history, meticulously craftsmanship, rare wood, and natural beauty! This beautiful tea caddy is dated circa 1780, is "of the period" Georgian s...
Yew
Irish Regency Tea Caddy
Located in Tampa, FL
A beautiful Irish 19th century rosewood tea caddy has its original glass and all of its interior. A sarcophagus design sitting on button feet. With wooden handles and mother of pearl...
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood
Antique English Satinwood Wooden Georgian Regency Double Tea Caddy 19th Century
Located in Dublin, Ireland
Impressive English Georgian Sheraton Period Flame Grain Satinwood Double Tea Caddy of outstanding quality and workmanship and compact size. Circa 1800-20. The hinged lid cross band...
Mahogany, Satinwood
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
Antique English Coromandel Wooden Double Tea Caddy by Thomas Lund 19th Century
Located in Dublin, Ireland
A Superb Example of an English Georgian Period Well figured Coromandle Double Interior Section Tea Caddy of flat rectangular outline, generous proportions and outstanding quality, al...
Crystal, Brass
Burr Yew 19th Century Tea Caddy
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
A Very Attractive And Good Quality Early 19th Century Regency Period, Burr Yew Wood Tea Caddy Having Boxwood Strung Decoration Throughout, The Hinged Pagoda Top Enclosing Two Lidded ...
Yew
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".
Sterling Silver
$1,518Sale Price|40% Off
A Hand Painted Apple Shaped Tea Caddy
Located in Reading, Berkshire
As the use of the jar waned and the box became more popular, the provision of different receptacles for green and black tea was abandoned, and the wooden tea chest or caddy, with a l...
Wood
Antique Scottish Mauchline Ware Tea Caddy by Smiths
Located in Northampton, GB
Their output ranged from simple domestic items to more decorative boxes and tea caddies, often finished with detailed printed decoration or patterned designs.Over time, variations su...
Wood, Sycamore
English Regency Mauchline Ware Tea Caddy by Stiven Scotland
Located in Northampton, GB
The exterior retains its traditional wooden hinge construction and is raised upon four turned ball feet, features commonly encountered on early nineteenth century Mauchline ware tea ...
Wood
19th Century Chinese Export Lacquer Tea Caddy
Located in Mt Kisco, NY
The burgundy / brown lacquer is decorated with gold depicting figures and buildings in a landscape. The caddy stands on four carved wooden feet in the shape of claws. The interior co...
Paper
English Shagreen Tea Caddy 19th with Bone Finial
Located in Dallas, TX
Antique English shagreen cased six sided wooden tea caddy with nice silver mounts, bone finial and undivided interior. Comes with small silver pin to unlock. Missing two of its small...
Silver
19th Century English Tunbridge Ware Marquetry Tea Caddy
Located in Forney, TX
A well-made antique, circa 1830, English tea caddy with stunning marquetry inlays, warm coloring, superb detailing, and luminous rich patina! When tea first arrived in Europe in t...
Brass
$985Sale Price|40% Off
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Walnut Veneer Parquetry Tea Caddy
Located in Reading, Berkshire
As the use of the jar waned and the box became more popular, the provision of different receptacles for green and black tea was abandoned, and the wooden tea chest or caddy, with a l...
Brass
Handmade Victorian Burr Walnut & Inlay Tea Caddy With Brass Hinges
Located in Reading, Berkshire
As the use of the jar waned and the box became more popular, the provision of different receptacles for green and black tea was abandoned, and the wooden tea chest or caddy, with a l...
Brass, Zinc
Late 18th Century Georgian English Dome-Top Tea Caddy
Located in Dublin, IE
A Fine Georgian Dome-Top Tea Caddy. A beautifully preserved Georgian period single–compartment tea caddy, veneered throughout in richly figured tortoiseshell with a striking mottled ...
Wood
Georgian Octagonal Tea Caddy, Burr Yew Wood, England, Circa 1800
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
An Early 19th Century, George III Period, Burr Yew Wood Tea Caddy Of Octagonal Form, Having Superbly Figured Veneers And Attractive Strung Decoration Throughout, The Hinged Lid Enc...
Yew
$1,771Sale Price|30% Off
Victorian Decorative Brass Bound Burr Walnut Domed Tea Caddy Chest With Key
Located in Reading, Berkshire
As the use of the jar waned and the box became more popular, the provision of different receptacles for green and black tea was abandoned, and the wooden tea chest or caddy, with a l...
Brass
Antique George IV Gonçalo Alves & Amboyna Marquetry Tea Caddy C1825 19th Century
Located in London, GB
Until about 1800 they were called tea canisters rather than caddies. Earlier tea caddies were made of either porcelain or faience.
Amboyna
Early 19th Century English Regency Rosewood Mother-of-pearl Tea Caddy
Located in Forney, TX
An elegant fine quality English Regency period tea caddy. Circa 1815 Born in the early 19th century, exquisitely hand-crafted from the finest exotic rosewood, rectangular sarcopha...
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood
19th Century Anglo-Indian Spice or Tea Caddy with Silver Mounts
Located in Dallas, TX
PRESENTING A GORGEOUS 19C Anglo Indian Rosewood Caddy with Silver Mounts. Really nice and unusual, 19th Century Anglo-Indian Spice or Tea Caddy, from circa 1890. Made of solid rose...
Sterling Silver
Antique Swedish Folk Art Tea Caddy in Hand-Carved Wood, 19th century
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A fine hand-tooled and ebonized wooden tea canister of Swedish origin - circa 1850-1890. Folk art piece made by an unknown artisan. Measurements: H: 18 cm, Diameter: 15 cm.
Oak
$1,587Sale Price|20% Off
Early 19th Century Mahogany Teapoy
Located in Martlesham, GB
Early 19th century mahogany teapoy, the shaped, crossbanded and hinged top opening to reveal two wooden containers with lids, with two compartment spaces ideal for storage, the sides...
Mahogany
Antique George III Set of 3 Sterling Silver Caddies in fitted Wooden Case 1784
By Daniel Smith & Robert Sharp
Located in London, GB
A set of 3 Antique George III Sterling Silver Caddies in a fitted Maple Wood Case. Each Caddy has a straight sided oval form and each is embellished with ornate bright cute engraving...
Sterling Silver
Mahogany Tea Caddy Wooden Casket Box w Antique Glass Empire early 19th century
Located in Sweden, SE
Rectangular shape mahogany veneered casket made in first half of 19th century presumably in Europe. Cast glass vessels are intact at their original place. Candy sugar bowl along with...
Glass, Cut Glass, Mahogany
Neoclassical Antique Sterling Silver Tea Caddy Set from 1797 by Robert Sharp
By Robert Sharp
Located in London, London
Hallmarked in London in 1797 by Robert Sharp, this rare and exceptional quality, George III, antique sterling silver tea caddy set, comprises two oval tea caddies and a sugar caddy, ...
Sterling Silver
Antique George II Sterling Silver Caddy Set in Wooden Case 1750 / 51
By Samuel Taylor
Located in London, GB
A beautiful Set of 3 Antique George II Silver Caddies in a fitted wooden case. This Set comprises of a pair of straight sided Silver Tea Caddies and a round domed lidded sugar bowl.
Sterling Silver
Chinoiserie Japanned Humidor Box England, Early to Mid-20th Century
Located in Atlanta, GA
The imagery follows the imaginative chinoiserie taste pioneered in the mid-18th century, recalling motifs after Jean-Baptiste Pillement and the lacquer traditions applied to English ...
Glass, Wood
Rare 19th Century English Tunbridgeware Hair Pin or Slide
Located in Dallas, TX
In its early years the company made articles such as workboxes and tea caddies with prints of popular views; later items had pictures created from mosaics.
Satinwood, Walnut
Unavailable|$4,800
Collection of 18th and 19th Century Regency Tea Caddies
Located in Richmond, VA
Collection of 18th and 19th Century Wooden Regency Tea Caddies of Various Shapes and Sizes.
Unavailable|$3,305
19th Century Chinese Wooden Tea Caddy
Located in Copenhagen, Copenhagen
19th century Chinese wooden tea caddy or teabox, carved with symbols for tea. Open in top and also has a drawer. Proberbly Hong Mü.
Brass
Unavailable|$13,000
1880s Wooden Tea Cabinet by Clark
By Alfred Clark
Located in Hong Kong, HK
A rare English Marquetry tea cabinet made by Clark of 20 Old Bond Street, London. For the Chinese tea producer Tuck Loong to present tea samples (mostly for the flower teas which op...
Wood
Continental Georgian Wooden Sycamore Hungarian Tea Caddy, Early 19th Century
Located in Northampton, United Kingdom
Sycamore tea caddy, floral painted with gold highlights under a glass top. With a cut steel handle, surround, escutcheon and finger pull. This wonderful eye-catching sycamore tea...
Glass, Sycamore
Harewood Antique Single Wooden Tea Caddy with Conch Shells, 18th Century
Located in Northampton, United Kingdom
Antique Harewood tea caddy with inlaid conch shells on the front and top and bone escutcheon. The Georgian single tea caddy interior features a floating lid with bone handle, whi...
Harewood
Unavailable|$1,350
Exceptional George III Inlaid Tea Caddy
Located in Alexandria, VA
Mahogany with satinwood, harewood, and ebony inlay - banded - shell and floral urn inlays - recessed brass handle on lid - fitted interior with two removable hinged lid wooden tea st...
Unavailable|$684
Antique Regency Bombe Shaped Burr Yew Tea Caddy
Located in Northampton, United Kingdom
Antique bombe shaped tea caddy veneered in burr yew with boxwood edging, has two brass carry handles, shield shaped escutcheon and stands on four turned wooden bun feet. This ant...
Yew
Unavailable|$1,109
English Rolled Paper or Quilled Paper Tea Caddy
Located in Stamford, CT
Circa 1780s English Hepplewhite style polygon shaped tea caddy constructed of rolled paper or "quilled" paper with Satinwood and glass panes. The interior also has a wooden lid. Made...
Glass, Satinwood, Paper
Unavailable|$1,334
Antique Mahogany Tunbridge Ware Tea Chest Muckross Abbey 19th Century
Located in Northampton, United Kingdom
Tunbridge ware mahogany tea chest with a view of Muckross Abbey surrounded by floral borders and standing on four turned wooden feet. The interior has been refitted with later in...
Mahogany
Unavailable|$2,531
Regency Mahogany and Inlaid Teapoy
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Regency mahogany and inlaid teapoy, circa 1820. With hinged top opening to show four different canisters with wooden lids and bovine handles, and two central apertures for mixing bow...
Mahogany
Unavailable|$697
Mahogany 3 Portioned Satinwood Inlaid Tea Caddy, circa 1850
Located in Lincoln, GB
Although wooden tea caddies were made early in the 18th century, it is not until the second half of the century that they were introduced in any numbers as a home style accessory.
Mahogany, Satinwood
Sold|$1,100
Rare Wooden Tea Caddies in Shape of Fruit
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Beautifully crafted wooden apple and pear that open and were once used as tea caddies.
English Black Lacquer, Gold Tea Caddie with Chinoiseries, Victorian Age
By English School
Located in Valladolid, ES
The black lacquer is decorated with gold depicting figures and buildings in a landscape. The Tea caddie stands on three carved wooden feet in the shape of dragons.
Pewter
Vintage Wooden Small Tea Caddy Whatnot Trinket Desk Box
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage wooden small tea caddy whatnot trinket desk box. Circa Early to Mid 20th Century. Measurements: 3.5" H x 5.5" W x 4.5" D.
Wood
Sold|$1,950
Large Tea Bin
Located in Culver City, CA
Wooden and metal bins that were used to store commercial tea, original paint, wonderful patina
Metal
Sold|$395
19th Century Tea Caddy
Located in Charlottesville, VA
19th century wooden tea caddy with a two-compartment interior and fitted wooden lids. The exterior is a simple rectangular form with a metal handle on top and an aged metal escutcheo...
Wood
Antique English Coromandel Brass Inlaid Wooden Double Tea Caddy 19th Century
Located in Dublin, Ireland
Stunning and exceptional example of a well grained Fully Fitted Double Coromandle Tea Caddy of compact proportions, early Nineteenth Century, of English origin. The rectangular hinge...
Crystal, Brass
Antique English Coromandel Brass Mounted Wooden Double Tea Caddy 19th Century
Located in Dublin, Ireland
Stunning and exceptional example of a well grained Dome Topped Fully Fitted Double Coromandle Tea Caddy of compact proportions, late 19th century, of English origin. The rectangu...
Crystal, Brass
Sold|$283
Antique Tea Caddy, 19th Century
Located in Benalmadena, ES
Antique tea caddy crafted in wood with a beautifully preserved original patina from the late 19th century. This exquisite piece features two interior compartments with their original...
Wood
Sold|$3,250
English Regency Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy
Located in Dallas, TX
A wonderful English tortoiseshell tea caddy. The domed lid is decorated with silver stringing reaching from each corner to the central silver knob on top of the lid. There is also a ...
Sterling Silver
Sold|$2,596 / set
19th Century Wood Marquetry Tea Caddy
Located in Paris, FR
19th century tea caddy, the box is crafted of ebony and boasts intricate inlay of brass accented by mother of pearl. Inside, the wooden-lined interior includes two containers for tea...
Brass
Sold|$8,928
Georgian Novelty Apple Fruit Tea Caddy
Located in Northampton, GB
Shaped as an Apple From our Tea Caddy collection, we are delighted to offer this superb Georgian Apple Treen Tea Caddy. The Tea Caddy carved from Sycamore as a novelty Apple with a ...
Sycamore
English Regency Period Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy
Located in Charlottesville, VA
English Regency Period tortoiseshell tea caddy, having a stepped lid with canted corners, exuberant floral design mother-of-pearl marquetry inlaid lid and front panels, set on wooden...
Tortoise Shell
Sold|$16,008
Georgian Tea Caddy Melon Fruitwood Treen
Located in Northampton, GB
Melon tea caddy with a fantastic green and brown mottled decoration and featuring a shaped wooden stalk, steel lock, hinge and oval escutcheon. The interior still has traces of the ...
Sycamore
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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