T 8

Treen

Tea caddy made from sycamore veneers, crossbanded with tulip, satinwood and holly other woods, with floral maquetry reserves on the lid and front, lined with zinc and baize and enclosing two compartments, with later mahogany lids and feet, thought to date c.1750-1800.

tea caddy

T 8

1750-1800 (manufactured)

Georgian (1714-1837)

sycamore
tulipwood
holly
mahogany
deal
baize
zinc

marquetry
veneered
dyed
turned
lined
joined
screwed

Harewood tea caddy made from sycamore veneered on a deal substrate. The caddy is of rectangular form, the lid with cross-banded and inlaid marquetry decoration, in different woods, probably holly, satinwood and tulipwood. The marquetry reserve is an oval floral design, which also appears on the front of the caddy, which is inlaid with two oval floral reserves between fluted pilasters, cross-banded in the same way as the lid. The interior is lined with zinc foil, with having two compartments, each with a mahogany lid. The base is lined with green baize and has four compressed ball feet screwed to the base.

The lid and caddy are of mitred construction on a deal substrate. The base is either nailed or glued up to the body. The feet are screwed to the base with modern screws. There is a small loss to the right-hand corner of the lid. The lock is missing its hasp, but the caddy has its original hinges and screws, and original baize to the base. The foil is substantially degraded. The feet are not original. The mahogany lids to the inner compartments do not fit, and are probably not original.

Depth: 10cm
Height: 13cm
Width: 18cm

tea, coffee and chocolate drinking
serving drink
storage

Label text for ‘What is classical style?’ case, Information Bay 4, Geffrye Museum, 2010:
Tea caddy, around 1780
Sycamore veneer, inlaid with holly, and with banding of tulip
and other woods
This tea caddy’s simple shape, clean lines and marquetry decoration (in which a pattern or motif is made from woods of various grains and colours) reflect the influence of neo-classical style.