Southeast Asian Tea Caddies

Beautiful handcrafted antique tinned copper decorative octagonal betel box with with lid, handle and brass latch. The metal is delicately and int...

1920s Antique Moroccan Silver Plated Footed Tea Caddy with hinged lid. This authentic Moroccan brass silver plated box has a beautiful etched geometri...

A very rare example of a French mid-century modern silver plate and gold plate box by the iconic French fashion house, Hermès of Paris. A stunning design in silverplate with a gilde...

A scarce fine quality antique silver-inlaid solid brass betel nut box (Lutuan), dating to the second half of the 19th / early 20th century, hand-crafted in Mindanao, Philippines. Boxes such as this were used to store the areca nut (also known as the betel nut) which would be wrapped in a betel leaf with lime paste and other ingredients, often tobacco, for chewing. Similar to the European tea caddy, these boxes often served as a way to impress while showing off ones wealth. Betel chewing was prevalent in the southern Philippines as in much of the rest of Southeast Asia. Wealthier Maranao families on Mindanao were able to afford elaborate silver-inlaid brass betel boxes such as this example. Such boxes were used to show off to guests and from which they were offered betel and the other component such as leaves and lime to make up the betel quid. Rare large size, most extant examples of such boxes tend to measure around 5 inches in length. At slightly more than 7.75 inches the example here is larger than most. The distinctive decorative box features a very heavy strong-box like rectangular shaped chest form with canted corners, copper handles, and a conforming hinged lid, lifting open to reveal an interior divided into three compartments covered by four hinged lids. Each of these doors is inlaid with silver in stylized orchid flower patterns. Exceptionally executed throughout, the arabesque silver inlaid exterior is decorated to the top with a large orchid motif within scrolling obid-obid (stylized rope) borders. The front, back and sides are inlaid with sets of stylized tail feathers of the sari-manok bird beneath which are unusual, highly stylized whimsical zoomorphic faces that appear like cat or tiger faces. (Such stylisation is accounted for by Southeast Asian Islamic preferences to avoid the overt and this potentially idolatrous representation of animal and human forms. Designs such as these are drawn from a local design repertoire that has its origins in wood carving. Although the spread of Islam in the Philippines began in the 14th century, mostly through the influence of Muslim merchants from the western Malay Archipelago, decorative arts in this design remain exceptionally rare. This lutuan represents a fine example of Islamic metalwork from the most eastern outreach of Islamic art and civilisation: Mindanao island being significantly further east than even China – artwork from Islamic Southeast Asia remains chronically under-represented in the world’s major collections of Islamic art. PROVENANCE / ACQUISITION Acquired from highly reputable auction house, Austin Auction Gallery, established 1983, Austin, Texas. References Brownrigg, H., Betel Cutters...

19th century turned treen lidded box made from mahogany. This piece was expertly hand turned in England and has a lovely finial over a domed top, which rests on a shapely hand turne...

Designed by Hermès and executed by silversmith Ravinet d'Enfert & Cie, very rare exquisite rectangular hinge lidded box consisting of silver-plated ground adorned with central gold-p...

Beautiful vintage tea caddy or box. This vintage piece is rare and it is captivating. Octagonal in silver plated finish, this piece can have a variety of uses. This piece displays...

This is a good papier mâché, rectangular shaped black lacquered lidded box, hand enamelled and gilded, made in Japan during the 19th century, early Meiji period. This rectangular shaped papier mâché box has a well fitting hinged lid, with the box base and lid slightly domed. The box was probably originally made as a pocket box but could easily sit on a desk or dressing table as required. This is a very decorative box with finely hand painted scenes of three people, one holding a parasol, in a garden setting, with a pagoda type building, large gate...

19th century hand turned fruitwood lidded treen box from England. The top has an applied hand turned finial over a turned lid. The base of the box is turned as well and is supporte...

Segmented silver box with a mahogany interior, and two slots. Likely designed to hold cards.

A very fine antique carved rose wood needle case with hinged cover with spring clasp and with central inset brass cartouche, the edges of the box with finely carved detail and with i...

American circa 1890 humidor.