Repousse Tea Caddy
These repousse tea caddy examples are beaten metal vessels designed to store dry tea leaves safely on the dining table.
Repousse Tea Caddy
A repousse tea caddy is a metal container created to hold tea securely while displaying ornamented surfaces. The selection includes pieces spanning the Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian eras, alongside continental and Indian origins.
How They Were Made
Makers shaped these containers by hammering metal from the reverse side to push out raised ornamental relief patterns. Sterling silver, solid silver, Sheffield plate, and copper provide the primary structural bodies.
Details finish with internal timber linings like ebony or fitted pull-off lids depending on the origin and period of manufacture.
Repousse Tea Caddy Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for repousse tea caddy among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
The selection includes items made from sterling silver, solid silver, silver plate, copper, and ebony across Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian periods.
What Varies in Quality
The crispness of the hammered relief work separates standard containers from finer examples. Heavy gauge metal and clear hallmarks denoting specific makers or assay offices mark the better class of item.
Thomas Hayes·William Hutton And Sons Ltd
The Repousse Tea Caddy Glossary
- Repousse
- A metalworking technique where the design is hammered into relief from the reverse side. This creates raised ornamental patterns across the surface of the container.
- Sterling silver
- An alloy containing a high proportion of pure silver combined with other metals for durability. British pieces typically display standard assay marks.
- Bombe
- A swollen, bulging shape characteristic of certain Victorian containers. This curved profile adds volume and visual movement to the body.
- Old Sheffield plate
- A composite material made by fusing a thin sheet of silver to a thicker copper base. It appears frequently in Georgian examples.
Repousse Tea Caddy: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a repousse tea caddy used for?
These vessels were originally manufactured to store loose tea leaves securely away from moisture and light.
Tea was an expensive commodity in past centuries, requiring dedicated locked or covered containers on the dining table.
How do I clean a silver tea caddy?
Maintenance requires soft cloths and gentle cleaning products suitable for historic silver surfaces.
Aggressive polishing can wear down the delicate hammered relief details characteristic of these pieces.
Are all caddies made of solid silver?
Material composition varies across the pieces, encompassing sterling silver, solid silver, silver plate, and copper.
Assay marks and hallmarks generally indicate the specific metal standard used by the maker.
How do I identify a Victorian caddy?
Victorian examples often feature distinctive styling like bombe contours or specific hallmarks corresponding to late nineteenth-century dates.
Design motifs reflect the revival styles popular during the reign of Queen Victoria.