{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O79065"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O79065/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM6303/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM6303/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AM6303","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM6307","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM6306","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM6305","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM6304","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM6302","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KK8279","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O79065/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O79065","accessionNumber":"W.70-1919","objectType":"Tea canister","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"<b>Object Type</b><br>Tea first became a popular drink in Britain in the 1660s, when it began to be imported from China.Tea leaves were expensive, so were usually kept in lockable containers. Prior to the introduction of the tea caddy after about 1780, early tea containers were referred to as canisters, sometimes kept in locked boxes known as tea chests. The canister was originally placed on the table while tea was served. It was often decorated with painting, like this one, or with marquetry.  This early example must  have been painted before 1717, the year Cradockdied.<br><br><b>People</b><br>Marmaduke Cradock was a painter of birds, animals and still life.  He had no formal art training, but was apprenticed to a house painter in London. The V&A also has two engravings of his paintings of birds in classical settings. They were originally sold at J. Sympson's print shop, in Russell Court, Drury Lane, London.<br><br><b>Subjects Depicted</b><br>The front of the canister is painted with a variety of birds, including turkeys, a peacock and a dove, in a rural scene with a ruined thatched cottage. On the back are a pheasant, a duck and ducklings, and a crow, with a lake and trees in the background.  On the top, a  border of flowers surrounds a raised panel with an owl, cockerel, peacock and a thatched cottage.","physicalDescription":"Tea canister, metal painted in oils. Features a variety of birds and other design elements including cottages and a border of flowers.\r\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Cradock, Marmaduke","id":"A8294"},"association":{"text":"painter (artist)","id":"AAT25136"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"metal","id":"AAT10900"},{"text":"oil colour","id":"AAT15050"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Metal, painted in oils","categories":[{"text":"Tea, Coffee & Chocolate wares","id":"THES48886"},{"text":"British Galleries","id":"THES48985"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2006AM6303","2006AM6307","2006AM6306","2006AM6305","2006AM6304","2006AM6302","2017KK8279"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"56D (VA)","id":"THES49242"},"free":"","case":"CA14","shelf":"","box":"2"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Tea chest","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1685-1717","earliest":"1685-01-01","latest":"1717-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Thomas Sutton, Esq., in memory of his wife","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"16","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"24","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"13.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"2.2 kg, weighed by Donna Stevens 23/5/2000\nDimensions checked: Measured; 04/02/1999 by dw","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Signed 'Cradock'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":"A8877"},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Painted in London and signed by Marmaduke Cradock (born in Somerton, Somerset, about 1660, died in London, 1717). \r\n\r\nTea Caddy (one of a collection of 100) donated by Thomas Sutton\r\n\r\nNotes from R.P. 19/3782\r\n\r\n13/5/19 Minute Paper by H Clifford Smith\r\nrecords an offer by Thomas Sutton to donate a collection of old English  tea caddies which belonged to his wife and were collected by her.  He wishes to present the Museum, in her memory, a selection of 100 specimens from her collection.  Smith says that Mrs Sutton had \"very considerable artistic knowledge and taste; the collection has…been made with great judgement and is a valuable one…worth not less that £1,000\".  Clifford Smith is to select the 100 items with Mr Sutton.\r\n\r\n16/6/19 letter Thomas Sutton to Cecil Smith\r\nstresses the importance of keeping the tea caddies together as a collection \"almost the whole of the interest is in seeing all the types and various styles together\".\r\n\r\n19/6/19 letter Cecil Smith to Sutton\r\nassures him that as \"all your tea caddies are English and of the same period, there will be no difficulty about exhibiting them together\".","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Tea canister, English, 1685-1717, signed by Marmaduke Cradock","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"signed by Marmaduke Cradock","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"British Galleries:\nTea canisters, now called caddies, not only kept tea fresh, but also protected them from theft. This canister has three compartments: two for different types of tea and the third probably for a mixing bowl. Its painted metal decoration is unusual. Most canisters were of silver or expensive woods.","date":{"text":"27/03/2003","earliest":"2003-03-27","latest":"2003-03-27"}}],"partNumbers":["W.70-1919"],"accessionNumberNum":"70","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1919,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN2690","2019LP9764","2019LP4524","2019LV6240"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-25","recordCreationDate":"2003-03-27","availableToBook":false}}