Antique Tea Caddies
1750s British George II Antique Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century English Regency Antique Tea Caddies
Hardwood
Early 20th Century English Sheraton Antique Tea Caddies
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century English Antique Tea Caddies
Tin
Mid-19th Century British Antique Tea Caddies
Paper
1790s English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
19th Century English Antique Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
Late 18th Century English Adam Style Antique Tea Caddies
Satinwood
Early 20th Century English Antique Tea Caddies
Ironstone
1830s English Rococo Antique Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Antique Tea Caddies
Coconut
Mid-18th Century British Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
Mid-18th Century English George II Antique Tea Caddies
Silver, Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Tea Caddies
Lacquer
1760s English Rococo Antique Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Korean Antique Tea Caddies
Silver
1890s Chinese Chinese Export Antique Tea Caddies
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Antique Tea Caddies
Wood
19th Century English Regency Antique Tea Caddies
Other
Early 1800s English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Brass, Other
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Boxwood, Harewood
19th Century English Antique Tea Caddies
Rosewood
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Tea Caddies
Sycamore
Early 19th Century European Antique Tea Caddies
Sycamore
19th Century Antique Tea Caddies
Rosewood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Rosewood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Brass, Metal
Late 18th Century English Chippendale Antique Tea Caddies
Brass
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Mahogany
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Boxwood, Yew
Late 18th Century British Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Silver
Late 18th Century British George III Antique Tea Caddies
Tin
18th Century British George III Antique Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
Early 1800s English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Silver
1780s English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Ivory, Mahogany, Satinwood, Paper
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Tea Caddies
Other
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Ebony, Mahogany, Satinwood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Bone, Mahogany
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Silver
Late 18th Century British Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Silver, Sterling Silver
1890s Russian Other Antique Tea Caddies
Silver
1810s British Regency Antique Tea Caddies
Shell
1840s English Rococo Antique Tea Caddies
Silver
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Tea Caddies
Sycamore
18th Century English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Silver
Early 19th Century British Regency Antique Tea Caddies
Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century American Antique Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Tea Caddies
Tortoise Shell, Mother-of-Pearl
1820s George IV Antique Tea Caddies
Amboyna
Mid-19th Century British Antique Tea Caddies
Mahogany, Satinwood
1860s English Antique Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
1820s English Antique Tea Caddies
Brass, Bronze
1890s American Dutch Colonial Antique Tea Caddies
Silver Plate
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Boxwood, Harewood
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Tea Caddies
Fabric
1820s English Antique Tea Caddies
Glass, Wood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Mahogany
Early 19th Century European Regency Antique Tea Caddies
Ivory, Tortoise Shell
Early 19th Century English William IV Antique Tea Caddies
Glass, Cut Glass
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Boxwood, Tulipwood, Harewood
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Antique Tea Caddies For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Antique Tea Caddies?
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.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022To identify an antique tea set, look for hallmarks on the bottoms of the pieces. Handwritten markings indicate a set produced prior to the 19th century. You can also research the pattern to get a rough idea of when the maker manufactured it. Shop a range of expertly vetted antique tea sets on 1stDibs.
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