Antique English Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy - c. 1850's, England

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$2,800.00

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Rare antique English sarcophagus shaped, double lidded compartment tea caddy made out of wood with a tortoiseshell veneer. It has a flat top decorated with a rectangular, hand painted London cityscape. It's luminous quality leads us to believe that it was painted using the Inlaid Pearl Glass technique, a method of decorating papier-mache and tortoiseshell boxes first developed in China and later patented in England. It consists of painting on a thin layer of mother pearl which is then placed against glass. We have seen similar tortoiseshell box paintings also described as eglomise (reverse painting on glass). The two compartments are complete with their original covers and show residue of silver paper lining typical of old tea boxes. The interior of the hinged lid is lined in red velvet, and the box itself stands on four small feet. In very good used condition with no key, small losses and imperfections as shown. Shipped fully insured with tracking number. Measurements: 5.75" wide by 3.5" deep by 4" tall; Miniature Painting: 3.5" by 1.5" approximately.