{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O180851"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O180851/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2012FH2142/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2012FH2142/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2012FH2142","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JV3719","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KK8247","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KN5692","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O180851/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O180851","accessionNumber":"W.65&A-1919","objectType":"Tea caddy","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Tea-drinking, introduced into Britain in the late 17th century, became widespread during the 18th century. Since tea caddies were placed on the table as tea was served, they were often highly decorative.  A great variety of wooden caddies were made between 1780 and 1810 as tea became cheaper and more widely used.  A. Hepplewhite & Co. published designs for both ‘tea caddies’ and ‘tea chests’, which were usually larger, in <i>The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Guide</i>, 1788 (2nd edition 1789, 3rd edition 1794).  \r\n\r\nThis caddy is painted with a central motif of the Prince of Wales's feathers and a band of roses on a black background, varnished for a glossy finish. The painting is very finely done and is probably professional rather than amateur work.","physicalDescription":"<b>Summary description</b> \r\nOval tea caddy painted black with over-painted and gilt decoration of flowers and the Prince of Wales's feathers.  The outer and inner lids have ivory knobs.\r\n\r\n<b>Decoration</b> \r\nIn the centre of the front is painted the Prince of Wales's feathers. Three white ostrich feathers rise vertically through a gold-painted coronet, with fluttering banners on each side also painted gold with black lettering.  There are bands of ornament around the upper and lower edges of the caddy, the broader upper band with naturalistically painted pink roses and green leaves contained within narrow gold borders.  The roses are painted across the join where the caddy meets the lid. At each side the band of roses contains an oval reserve with a border of white dots, containing a trophy painted in brown and black against a silver background. The left-hand trophy has musical instruments with a harp and flutes surrounded by leaves, while the right side has an arrow, a quiver and a flute against leaves.  The top of the lid has a border of intertwined ribbon ornament in green and pink. Around the lower edge of the caddy is a narrow band of repeating ornament with a running stem and leaves within a border, painted in gold.\r\n\r\n<b>Structure and Materials</b> \r\nThe construction of the caddy is entirely concealed by the paint on the outside and a layer of tin foil inside.  The foil appears fresh and may be a later reapplication. \r\n\r\nThe caddy is made of wood, [formed of two curved pieces glued together? Were the pieces cut in a curve or softened with water and bent?] The whole body of the caddy is covered with a thin layer of gesso to hide the joints and provide a smooth surface for the paintwork.  This has flaked off in one small area at the joint of the top and rim of the lid. The caddy is varnished over the paint creating a glossy surface, particularly in the areas which are plain black.  The surface of the varnish has a fine <craquelure> or surface crazing, visible on very close inspection. Underneath, the caddy is gessoed and painted black but not varnished.\r\n\r\nThe lid is fixed on with a brass hinge.  There is a small brass lock with no escutcheon. The lid has a small turned bone knob with incised black lines.  There is a loose oval inner lid which would have dropped down inside the caddy to rest on the top of the tea leaves.  This is painted black on the top, painted silver on the underside and has a small bone turned knob.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Wood","id":"AAT11914"},{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Wood with painted decoration,with ivory knobs","categories":[{"text":"Tea, Coffee & Chocolate wares","id":"THES48886"}],"styles":[{"text":"Early 19th century","id":"x36357"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2012FH2142","2017JV3719","2017KK8247","2018KN5692"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES302006"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"012","id":"THES302006"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Lid","id":""}],[{"text":"Tea caddy","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1800-1820","earliest":"1800-01-01","latest":"1820-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Thomas Sutton, Esq., in memory of his wife","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"14.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"including knob","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"14.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"From catalogue\r\nChecked by LW 20.1.10","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"ICH DIEN","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"I serve","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On ribbons either side of coronet"}],"objectHistory":"Thomas Sutton, an antique dealer in Eastbourne, gave an extensive and varied collection of tea caddies to the Museum in memory of his wife. Curators were invited to choose up to 100 caddies from his wife's collection, and 89 of them were acquired. The caddies demonstrate the wide variety of techniques used to decorate caddies including paintwork, mother-of-pearl veneer and marquetry.\n\nHistorical significance: The Prince of Wales's feathers, three white feathers emerging from a gold coronet with a ribbon bearing the motto 'Ich dien', German for 'I serve', is the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales and is sometimes used to symbolise Wales. Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir to the British throneso it is possible that the motif on this caddy was a reference to George Augustus Frederick (1762-1830), later George IV, who was Prince of Wales from 1762 to 1820 and Prince Regent from 1811 until 1820 when he acceded to the throne.","historicalContext":"Tea leaves were expensive, so were usually stored in lockable containers. Early tea containers were referred to as canisters, kept in locked boxes known as tea chests. Smaller wooden boxes with one or two fixed inner compartments for loose tea became popular from about 1780 onwards and by 1800 were generally known as tea caddies. The word 'caddy' is thought to derive from the Malay word for a measure of weight (<i>kati</i>) equivalent to about half a kilogram","briefDescription":"Oval tea caddy painted black with over-painting of roses and the Prince of Wales feathers, British, early 19th century","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"feathers","id":"x40610"},{"text":"coronet","id":"AAT213701"},{"text":"roses","id":"x34733"},{"text":"harp","id":"x31558"},{"text":"trophy","id":"x38269"},{"text":"flute","id":"x46941"},{"text":"arrow","id":"AAT36976"},{"text":"quiver","id":"AAT36930"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["W.65A-1919","W.65-1919"],"accessionNumberNum":"65","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1919,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Lid","Tea caddy"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-08-10","recordCreationDate":"2008-12-23","availableToBook":true}}