How do you use the bowls?

The original owners used the large central glass bowls to blend different types of tea. They might mix a strong black tea with a green variety to achieve a specific flavour profile. Once mixed, the dry leaves were scooped straight into the teapot. The bowl stayed in the box and was never used for wet ingredients or hot water.

There is one at a local sale that has a velvet lining inside but no tin boxes at all, is it still meant for tea or something else?

A fitted box without canisters often points to another use. While antique teapoys were built for tea, the same form was occasionally adapted for needlework or games. If the velvet lining looks original and fills the whole interior, it might be a sewing worktable on a pillar base. Check if there are small divisions for thread rather than large square voids for caddies.

Can you replace missing canisters?

Sourcing exact matching canisters is difficult. The internal dimensions vary widely between makers. Finding a stray pair that slots perfectly takes patience.

The central wooden pillar on the one we bought wobbles quite a bit when you open the top lid, can this be tightened up somehow?

A wobbly pillar is common. The joint where the column meets the top box or the base platform takes all the leverage when the heavy lid falls back. Most were built with a thick wooden dowel or a long metal thread running into the base. A furniture restorer can usually secure the loose joint by regluing the tenon or tightening the hidden iron block.

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Antique Teapoys

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An antique teapoy is a freestanding wooden caddy set on a central pillar and base, designed to hold loose tea leaves and mixing bowls securely under lock and key in the drawing room.