Tea Caddies
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
1790s English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
Late 18th Century English Sheraton Antique Tea Caddies
Satinwood
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Caddies
Murano Glass, Art Glass
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Mahogany
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Caddies
Wood, Paper
1820s George IV Antique Tea Caddies
Amboyna
Mid-20th Century American Scandinavian Modern Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
19th Century British Antique Tea Caddies
Horn, Wood
Early 19th Century European Antique Tea Caddies
Sycamore
19th Century English Antique Tea Caddies
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Other Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Italian Georgian Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
Mid-18th Century English Chippendale Antique Tea Caddies
Mahogany
19th Century Antique Tea Caddies
Wood, Paint
19th Century Antique Tea Caddies
Wood, Paint
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Boxwood, Harewood
Mid-19th Century British Antique Tea Caddies
Silver Plate
1820s English Regency Antique Tea Caddies
Brass
Early 19th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Birdseye Maple
1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tea Caddies
Pewter
Early 19th Century Early Victorian Antique Tea Caddies
Rosewood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Mahogany
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Bone, Mahogany
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Yew
1920s English Art Deco Vintage Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
Early 1800s English Neoclassical Antique Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Tea Caddies
Fabric
1880s British Victorian Antique Tea Caddies
Wood
19th Century British Antique Tea Caddies
Bone, Wood
19th Century British Antique Tea Caddies
Brass
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Boxwood, Harewood
Early 1800s English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Silver
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Mahogany
1920s English Art Deco Vintage Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century European Neoclassical Antique Tea Caddies
Silver
2010s Tea Caddies
Marble, Metal
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Silver
1790s English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Mahogany
1820s British Regency Antique Tea Caddies
Wood
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Boxwood, Satinwood, Harewood
Mid-19th Century English Regency Antique Tea Caddies
Rosewood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Mahogany
1780s Antique Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
1770s English Neoclassical Antique Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
19th Century German Antique Tea Caddies
Silver
Early 19th Century English Georgian Antique Tea Caddies
Brass
19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Tea Caddies
Tin
1810s Dutch George III Antique Tea Caddies
Brass
Late 18th Century English Adam Style Antique Tea Caddies
Satinwood
1820s British Regency Antique Tea Caddies
Wood
Early 1800s English Chinoiserie Antique Tea Caddies
Metal, Foil
Early 19th Century English William IV Antique Tea Caddies
Glass, Cut Glass
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Tea Caddies
Brass
19th Century English Chippendale Antique Tea Caddies
Silver Plate
Early 1800s European George III Antique Tea Caddies
Wood, Sycamore
Early 19th Century English William IV Antique Tea Caddies
Wood
1890s Russian Chinoiserie Antique Tea Caddies
Silver
Vintage, New and Antique Tea Caddies
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.