What were tea caddies used for?

Tea caddies served as secure containers for storing expensive imported tea leaves in the home. They typically included internal lidded compartments to keep different varieties separate. Because tea was a valuable commodity during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, these boxes were kept locked and handled with care by the master of the house.

How do I care for a marquetry chest?

Keep wooden marquetry chests away from direct sunlight and sudden temperature shifts to prevent the delicate veneers from lifting or splitting. Routine dusting with a dry cloth is sufficient. Avoid using modern liquid polishes or silicone sprays, applying traditional beeswax sparingly only when the timber appears dry.

How do I distinguish eighteenth from nineteenth century pieces?

Eighteenth-century examples often display simpler, robust carcass construction paired with walnut, early mahogany, or fruitwood marquetry. The floral and geometric designs tend to reflect baroque or early neoclassical taste. Nineteenth-century pieces frequently introduce darker rosewood, satinwood highlights, or specialised regional techniques such as Tunbridge mosaic work and more mechanical interior fittings.

Are these chests suitable for daily use?

Most small chests, boxes, and cabinets function well for storing jewellery, letters, or small accessories in a modern room. Their interior compartments remain practical for organisation. Larger chests of drawers and commodes provide functional storage while serving as distinct focal points within a hallway or bedroom.

Home > Brown Wooden Marquetry Chest > Page 4

Brown Wooden Marquetry Chest

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A brown wooden marquetry chest brings centuries of intricate floral and geometric veneer work into a room.

Antique Italian Sorrento Ware Olive Wood Casket 19th C

19th century

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Antique Italian Sorrento Ware Olive Wood Casket 19th C

From Regent Antiques

£1,550

3+ MONTHS AGO

boxes

Stunning Antique Swiss Rosewood Inlaid Musical Box Eight Airs with 6 Bells

18th century

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Stunning Antique Swiss Rosewood Inlaid Musical Box Eight Airs with 6 Bells

From N Wilson Antiques Clocks

£1,000

3+ MONTHS AGO

boxes

Victorian Inlaid Aesthetic Movement Kneehole Dressing Table.

19th century

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Victorian Inlaid Aesthetic Movement Kneehole Dressing Table.

From Rupert Hitchcox Antiques

£435

3+ MONTHS AGO

dressing tables

17th century

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17th Century Olive Wood Oyster Cabinet

From Holmes Antiques

£14,800

3+ MONTHS AGO

cupboards

17th century

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Fine 17th Century William and Mary Burr Walnut Marquetry Chest of Drawers

From Park Lodge Antiques

£39,000

3+ MONTHS AGO

chest of drawers

1900 - 1920

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Antique Pair of Bedside Cabinets

From Simon Charles Antiques

£975

3+ MONTHS AGO

cupboards

Antique George IV Gonçalo Alves & Amboyna Marquetry Tea Caddy C1825 19th C

19th century

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Antique George IV Gonçalo Alves & Amboyna Marquetry Tea Caddy C1825 19th C

From Regent Antiques

£1,550

3+ MONTHS AGO

boxes

18th century

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Oyster Veneer Chest of Drawers

From The Fine Art Fund

£1,950

3+ MONTHS AGO

chest of drawers

18th century

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18th Century Italian Commode

From Arcadia Antiques

£5,500

3+ MONTHS AGO

chest of drawers

19th century

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19th Century Inlaid Mahogany Chest of Drawers

From Pap Antiques and Restoration Ltd

£750

3+ MONTHS AGO

chest of drawers

Some nineteenth-century tea caddies include hidden secret compartments designed to guard against over-enthusiastic household guests sampling the black pekoe.

French Decorative Inlaid Thuya Wood Collectors Box

19th century

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French Decorative Inlaid Thuya Wood Collectors Box

From Beechmount Antiques

£675

3+ MONTHS AGO

boxes

19th century

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Antique French Louis Revival Gonçalo Alvest Marquetry Commode 19th Century

From Regent Antiques

£2,950

3+ MONTHS AGO

chest of drawers

18th century

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Early 18th Century Rococo Inlaid Plum Bombe Chest of Drawers

From Debenham Antiques Ltd

£7,295

3+ MONTHS AGO

chest of drawers

Victorian Marquetry Walnut Art Nouveau Writing Slope

19th century

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Victorian Marquetry Walnut Art Nouveau Writing Slope

From Past to Present

£245

3+ MONTHS AGO

boxes

19th century

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Early 19th Century Swedish Oak Inlaid Chest of Drawers

From Debenham Antiques Ltd

£2,195

3+ MONTHS AGO

chest of drawers

19th century

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Superb William 4th Wine Cellarette

From Fernyhough Antiques Ltd

£1,295

3+ MONTHS AGO

miscellaneous

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Brown Wooden Marquetry Chest

Antique Italian Sorrento Ware Olive Wood Casket 19th C

Stunning Antique Swiss Rosewood Inlaid Musical Box Eight Airs with 6 Bells

Victorian Inlaid Aesthetic Movement Kneehole Dressing Table.

17th Century Olive Wood Oyster Cabinet

Fine 17th Century William and Mary Burr Walnut Marquetry Chest of Drawers

Antique Pair of Bedside Cabinets

Antique George IV Gonçalo Alves & Amboyna Marquetry Tea Caddy C1825 19th C

Oyster Veneer Chest of Drawers

18th Century Italian Commode

19th Century Inlaid Mahogany Chest of Drawers

French Decorative Inlaid Thuya Wood Collectors Box

Antique French Louis Revival Gonçalo Alvest Marquetry Commode 19th Century

Early 18th Century Rococo Inlaid Plum Bombe Chest of Drawers

Victorian Marquetry Walnut Art Nouveau Writing Slope

Early 19th Century Swedish Oak Inlaid Chest of Drawers

Superb William 4th Wine Cellarette

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