Time for Tea Caddies

July 21, 2025 admin Mark Goodger, tea caddies

The decorative appeal of tea caddies is vast and, with a large number of survivors, they exist in sufficient quantities to form an interesting collection on a budget. We asked antique box specialist Mark Goodger why he is passionate about antique tea caddies

What do you love about antique tea caddies and what they offer collectors?

My passion came while doing an apprenticeship for a restoration company. As part of the training I attended High Wycombe Furniture College to obtain my certificates for cabinetmaking. One lesson, on French polishing, used a tea caddy for demonstration. After it, I asked if I could purchase the caddy and I’m pleased to say it went home with me that day for the grand sum of £5. Now I’ve got the bug and many decades later that bug is stronger than ever.

A George III tortoiseshell tea caddy, with a double serpentine front and pagoda-shape, image courtesy of Mark Goodger

Our fascination with them is due to their sheer complexity and their links with history and fashion. We can’t help but want to peek inside when we see an antique box. When opening it, we want to see what stories could it tell.

Collectors can focus on specific eras, materials, or regional styles, making it an engaging and diverse hobby. Caddies and tea chests serve as beautiful decorative pieces that add charm and elegance to interiors, whether in a classic or modern setting. There is also some investment potential. High quality and rare tea caddies can appreciate over time with unique or well-preserved pieces, especially those from famous makers, fetching high prices.

Which makers of tea caddies should we look out for?

Tea caddies with makers’ labels are very rare, so if you see one, snap it up. Thomas Chippendale, Henry Clay, George Seddon, Gillows, Edward Holmes Baldock, H. Spencer, and Robert Wright are some of the leading Georgian makers.

Victorians were much better at leaving cabinetmakers and retailers’ marks on their items. Makers and retailers to look out for include Betjemann, Lund, Asprey, Thornhill, Mappin & Webb, William Comyns, Jennens & Bettridge and Spier & Son.

What makes an ideal caddy?

Colour, patination and original untouched condition. Georgian pieces in particular are highly collected. When it comes to tortoiseshell tea caddies, the complex shapes are more expensive, if they are pressed or inlaid with silver they are highly collectable.

Red and green stained tortoiseshell caddies are rare and sought after. Their shapes are mostly simple, but their colour makes them in demand as they stand out in a collection.

An oval tea caddy, sycamore, decorated with a rare simulated pine effect, with painted wood grain with the spa towns of Le Tonnelet, La Sauveniere Presde Spa and Le Bricolet, c 1770; a papier-mâché tea caddy by Henry Clay, c. 1800; one of pair of George III papier-mâché oval tea caddies, attributed
to Henry Clay — An oval tea caddy, sycamore, decorated with a rare simulated pine effect, with painted wood grain with the spa towns of Le Tonnelet, La Sauveniere Presde Spa and Le Bricolet, c 1770; a papier-mâché tea caddy by Henry Clay, c. 1800; one of pair of George III papier-mâché oval tea caddies, attributed to Henry Clay, image courtesy of Mark Goodger

What about tea caddies in fruit form?

Fruit tea caddies are and have always been very sought after. All are continental in origin and made out of turned out sycamore. All have cut steel hinges, locks and escutcheon with a simple lock and key.

Apples and pears are the most common, with melons and then pumpkins being rarer. In most cases the latter two are more than double the price of an apple and pear. Any damage or repairs to these seriously affect their value – pay particular attention to the front and the back of the hinge. Colour and patination is key.

As they are so popular, the market is flooded with fakes, so beware.

A selection of antique tea caddies — Tea caddies make a decorative and practical display, image courtesy of Mark Goodger

What else should collectors be aware of?

Although their owners held them in high esteem, during their lifetime caddies were well-used, and many are no longer in prime condition. Make sure you understand how the conventions for handles, hinges, feet, escutcheons and interior linings etc., changed over the years, so you know what to expect. Look out for replacement hinges and locks and for repairs to veneers or other surface decoration. Restoration, even when done well, will affect value. Be aware also of very convincing fakes, especially in ivory, tortoiseshell and enamel caddies. If buying on the internet, check all the details and, if spending a large sum, consult an expert in the field before making your purchase.

Mark Goodger (www.markgoodger.co.uk) has been buying, selling and restoring antiques for almost 30 years, gaining experience from handling thousands of antique boxes and accessories over many years

‘FRUIT’ CADDIES

Until the late 17th century, the majority of household items such as boxes and tableware were carved from wood. It wasn’t until the end of the Renaissance that silver, pewter, and ceramic objects started to become introduced into society.

Antique treen tea caddy in the shape of an apple — Treen tea caddy in the shape of an apple, c.1800, with a button stalk, shaped body and shaped cut steel escutcheon, with traces of the original tin foil lining, image Mark Goodger

‘Fruit’ caddies were usually made of fruitwood, or, more likely sycamore, and could be lightly stained to approximate to the colour of the fruit. There is some debate about their origins, with some attributing them to the UK but the presence of base metal, rather than a brass, escutcheon and lock suggest a European origin.

Melon fruit tea caddy, c. 1800, sycamore in four large segments finished with a steel cut escutcheon and carved stalk, with original silver foil lining and steel cut hinge, image Mark Goodger

Authentic versions (there are many imitations) should show the presence of the original foil lining. Edward H. Pinto in Treen and other Wooden Bygones writes: “European fruit caddies are hinged on a horizontal line about five-eighths of the way up, are fitted with a lock, have, or have had, foil linings and an inner lid; the stem is inserted as a separate component.”