Painted Melon Tea Caddy

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$14,000.00

Quantity Available: 1

Excellent quality fruitwood Tea Caddy hand carved from the same piece of wood in a very desirable Melon shape. This is the more common version of the melon. To view the more rare, taller version see Item # MWTC008. This squat version is significant with its original painted alternating painted panels. It also still has its original stem & hinges - this is one of the first places one looks for potential damage - it is fabulous to see that these hinges are still intact! There are also fragments of the original lead lining which was believed in the day to help keep tea leaves from spoiling. Considering that tea was more expensive than gold at the time, significant importance was placed on the storage and care of this rare commodity. Locked boxes were custom ordered from the finest cabinet makers and craftsmen. Their keys were kept by the lady of the house who enjoyed the ritual of serving tea themselves to the honored guests, fearing the servants would stealing the tea leaves in the kitchen! It became a major status symbol to have your tea brought out in these exquisite containers and fruitwood ones being the most prized of all.