“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: found at market in England,  this Antique William IV Rosewood Tea Caddy would have been the must-have of any accomplished host or hostess. Lifting the lid of this then-trendy sarcophagus-shaped caddy reveals a fitted interior featuring at center a sparkling cut glass blending bowl flanked by a pair of lidded tea compartments. 

With beautiful trim details to the lid, a quietly lustrous mother-of-pearl keyhole escutcheon (key absent), and elegantly elevated on dainty bun feet, 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 good antique condition with discreet signs of age and use. Circa 1830. Approximately 11.75" x 6" x 6.5"H.