Antique English Tunbridgeware Parquetry Tea Caddy

“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 humblest 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 Tea Caddy would have been the must-have of any accomplished hostess. Lifting the hinged lid of this domed caddy reveals a fitted interior with a pair of lidded tea compartments. 

With sleek parquetry design, 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. 7"W x 4.5"L x 6"H.