Description

An excellent quality antique sterling silver tea caddy or sugar jar with lift off lid. Attractive vase shape with cast and pierced foot, and cute little flower finial. High relief embossed flower and scroll decoration. Excellent weight. Weight 332 grams, 10.6 troy ounces. Height 14 cm, diameter 10.5 cm. London 1762. Maker Samuel Taylor.
This would have been originally one of a set of 3 matching caddies in a fitted box. One large caddy (originally for sugar) and a matching pair of smaller caddies (for green and black tea).

Literature: A Tea Caddy is a box, jar, canister, or other receptacle used to store tea. The word is believed to be derived from ‘catty’, the Chinese pound, equal to about a pound and a third avoirdupois. The earliest examples that came to Europe were Chinese tea canisters in blue and white porcelain with china lids or stoppers. Tea in the early 18th Century was expensive, and also there was a tax on tea. so early tea caddies were small and made in precious materials such as silver, shagreen or tortoiseshell which reflected the valuable contents within.
Some of the earliest silver examples have sliding bases (or tops) and the cap was used for measuring the tea. By the mid eighteenth century matching sets were available, with two caddies (for green and black tea) and a sugar bowl, all fitted into a wooden or shagreen case, often with silver mounts. During the late 1700’s the locking silver tea caddy was introduced with its own key which the lady of the house kept on the chatelaine around her waist. Double locking tea caddies in silver are rare.

Very good. No damage. Good silver marks to every piece, all matching and by the same maker. Excellent gauge silver.

Maker: Samuel Taylor

Samuel Taylor, London silversmith, apprenticed to John Newton, free 1744. 1st mark entered 1744 as largeworker. 2nd mark 1757. Taylor specialised in tea caddies and sugar bowls, like his master, and his mark is rarely found on any other genre.

Customer satisfaction is our primary concern

All silverware on our website is checked thoroughly prior to offering it for sale and every product listing contains a condition report and details of the silver hallmarks.

All items offered on our website include:

• Free Shipping Worldwide
• Tracked and Insured
• 14 day no quibble money back guarantee
• We are accredited members of LAPADA and conform to their strict professional standards
• We dispatch 1-3 days after receiving cleared payments

More detailed information about deliveries, returns and how to pay is available in the Help section at the bottom of this page.