Tea Caddies
Late 20th Century Chinese Tea Caddies
Brass
1890s Northern Irish Antique Tea Caddies
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood
18th Century English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Silver
1910s British Art Deco Vintage Tea Caddies
Sterling Silver
1840s British Victorian Antique Tea Caddies
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Minimalist Tea Caddies
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Tea Caddies
Enamel
19th Century Regency Antique Tea Caddies
Wood
Late 20th Century Indian Other Tea Caddies
Brass
1830s French Beaux Arts Antique Tea Caddies
Wood
Early 18th Century English Chinoiserie Antique Tea Caddies
Oak
19th Century English George III Antique Tea Caddies
Mahogany
20th Century Baroque Revival Tea Caddies
Silver Plate
Mid-19th Century English Regency Antique Tea Caddies
Hardwood
1830s Irish William IV Antique Tea Caddies
Fruitwood
Late 18th Century Antique Tea Caddies
Silver
19th Century Regency Antique Tea Caddies
Wood
Late 20th Century Indian Tea Caddies
Bronze
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.