Papier Mache Tea Caddy
Antique 19th Century English Tea Caddies
Mother-of-Pearl, Paper
Antique Early 1800s English Georgian Tea Caddies
Paper
Mid-20th Century Indian Islamic Tea Caddies
Copper
Mid-20th Century American Chinoiserie Decorative Boxes
Wood, Paper
Recent Sales
Antique 18th Century British Georgian Tea Caddies
Paper
Antique Mid-19th Century British Victorian Tea Caddies
Paper
Antique 19th Century British Tea Caddies
Wood
Antique Early 18th Century German Tea Caddies
Paper
Antique 19th Century English Tea Caddies
Glass, Papier Mâché
Antique 18th Century British George III Tea Caddies
Silver
Antique 19th Century Chinese Regency Tea Caddies
Brass
Antique 1820s Great Britain (UK) Regency Tea Caddies
Pewter
Antique 1850s Victorian Tea Caddies
Paper
Antique Mid-19th Century English Victorian Tea Caddies
Other
Antique Early 19th Century Tea Caddies
Mother-of-Pearl
Antique Mid-19th Century English Victorian Tea Caddies
Metal
Antique 19th Century British Tea Caddies
Paint, Paper
Antique 18th Century British Tea Caddies
Paper
Antique 1860s High Victorian Tea Caddies
Abalone, Paper
Antique 1810s English George III Tea Caddies
Foil
Antique 19th Century Tea Caddies
Wood, Lacquer
Antique 1860s English Chinoiserie Tea Caddies
Wood, Lacquer
Antique Late 19th Century French Chinoiserie Tea Caddies
Wood, Paper
Early 20th Century Japanese Chinoiserie Tea Caddies
Lacquer, Paper
Antique 19th Century Chinese Regency Boxes
Antique 19th Century British Tea Caddies
Antique 19th Century English Regency Tea Caddies
Antique 1850s Russian Empire Tea Caddies
Paper
Antique Mid-19th Century Russian Folk Art Tea Caddies
Lacquer
Antique 19th Century British Decorative Boxes
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Tea Caddies
Antique 18th Century Great Britain (UK) Georgian Tea Caddies
Paper
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Tea Sets
Gold Leaf
Antique 1870s Scottish Tea Caddies
20th Century French Napoleon III Tea Sets
Mother-of-Pearl, Papier Mâché
Antique 19th Century English Decorative Boxes
Mother-of-Pearl, Papier Mâché
Antique 19th Century English More Furniture and Collectibles
Papier Mâché, Paper
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Decorative Boxes
Antique Early 19th Century British Tea Caddies
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Antique Early 19th Century English Chinoiserie Commodes and Chests of Dr...
Wood
Antique 19th Century English Chinese Chippendale Vitrines
Glass, Mahogany
Antique 18th Century English Chinoiserie Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique 19th Century English Chinoiserie Decorative Boxes
Wood
Mid-20th Century Chinoiserie Decorative Boxes
Lacquer
Antique Mid-18th Century Chinese Chinese Export Lacquer
Wood, Cypress, Lacquer
Antique 1780s English George III Tea Caddies
Ebony, Kingwood, Harewood, Holly, Burl
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Secretaires
Wood, Lacquer
Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Tea Caddies
Yew
Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Tea Caddies
Sycamore
Antique 1860s English Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
Papier Mache Tea Caddy For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Papier Mache 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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