Tea Caddy

Tea caddies held loose tea and were meant to preserve its taste and flavor. Often made in pairs, one for green and one for black tea, they were placed on the tea tray or table while serving, but then locked in chests to prevent theft of the costly leaves.

Tea arrived in London from Asia through the Netherlands, as the Dutch were the first to engage in tea trading with China. The 1670s saw only a small amount of tea reaching Europe, but by 1750 the British East India Company had imported 37 million pounds of tea to England. During the 18th century, tea remained a costly and exotic commodity that brought with it a certain mystery inspiring innovative accoutrements and social rituals for its consumption. The Chinese wine pot was a model for the European teapot, and Chinese ceramics also informed the shape of tea caddies. The number and variety of objects in this case speak to the energy and creativity invested in developing fashionable and functional tea implements as well as English patrons' willingness to purchase them.