Antique English Mahogany Tea Chest
Antique English Mahogany Tea Chest
SOLD
“If you are cold, tea will warm you;
if you are too heated, it will cool you;
If you are depressed, it will cheer you;
If you are excited, it will calm you.”
~ William Ewart Gladstone (U.K. Prime Minister, 1868 - 1894)
By 1766 over six million pounds of tea were coming to England from Canton, China alone. Over the next century tea from all over Asia became a daily staple of every table, from the lowliest cottage, to the most genteel and affluent drawing room.
Like every custom, tea developed its own accoutrements. Recently found at market in England, this Antique English Mahogany Tea Chest would have been the must-have of any accomplished hostess. Lifting the hinged lid of this then-trendy sarcophagus-shaped caddy reveals a fitted interior with a pair of lidded tea compartments.
With elegant finials atop the wooden lids replicating the rotund bun feet of the caddy and brass accents including the hinges and keyhole (original key absent), this magnificent piece of practical social history would make a delightful addition to any carefully curated room. Allowing for custom blending of favored teas, this exceptional heirloom caddy is sure to elevate tea time and serve you well for at least the next century.
Strictly one-of-a-kind and subject to prior sale. In very good antique condition with signs of age and use to the interior of the compartments as seen in the alternate images. 9"W x 5.25"D x 5.75"H.
