What was inside a tea caddy?

These boxes held expensive black and green teas securely under lock and key, protecting dry leaves from kitchen odours and household theft. Inside, the space was typically divided into two or three compartments with internal fitted lids for different tea varieties, alongside a central glass bowl used for blending.

How do I spot a Regency caddy?

Regency pieces often feature bolder architectural forms like sarcophagus bodies, brass inlay, ring handles, and dark exotic woods such as rosewood. Earlier Georgian examples tend to favour straight-grained mahogany, oval or hexagonal shapes, and delicate satinwood stringing rather than heavy brass mounts.

Did they all come with locks?

Most quality boxes were fitted with functional brass locks because tea was an exceptionally valuable commodity in the eighteenth household. Keys were kept strictly by the head of the household, and surviving locks often retain their original hand-hammered mechanisms.

Where were they placed?

A caddy sat prominently on the sideboard or tea table in the formal reception rooms of country houses and town residences. The hostess would unlock the box to measure out the leaves in front of her guests before the tea service began.