Topic: Early Pressed Glass Tea Caddy

[neilh]

I picked up this beast the other day - a tea caddy dating to about 1845 I would say - very early pressed glass and weighs a ton.

Looking into these pieces a bit more, I noticed that they seem to be amendments to sugar basin patterns, with straight sides. Here for comparison is a basin and caddy from Percival Vickers, then bottom left we have a Molineaux Webb basin circa 1845-50, which is very similar in pattern to the caddy I found. I suspect the Molineaux Webb basin may have had a caddy pair when the patterns were first produced.

I also found this neat youtube vid where a guy has a wooden caddy box with the pressed glass piece still in situ, again circa 1845. Didn't realise they were used like this, interesting to see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhZWk4vdnMA

[chopin-liszt]

It is a lovely wooden box in the video clip, but I'm not entirely sure the bowl would have been for sugar.
I thought they kept the teas, both green and black, under lock and key, but would blend them in a glass bowl for use, first.
I don't think sugar had to be kept under lock and key, in 1845.

[fatbelly]

Most early tea caddies would have double compartments for green and black tea.The higher end caddies also help a central glass bowl for as Chopin States  for mixing the green and black leaves for ones personal taste.I will add some images of the regency glass bowl that is in situ in a double sarcophagus tea caddy that I have in my possession.Most definitely a mixing bowl.

[chopin-liszt]

  Whew. Thanks for confirming my suspicions. I did suspect the man on the tube was wrong.
And that green tea is not just a new fashion. I wasn't sure.

[fatbelly]

 

[chopin-liszt]

Tea is my partner's domain. I steer clear. I can't bear the smell.
Coffee is mine. He steers clear. He can't bear the smell.

We have seperate facilities and areas in the kitchen.

[fatbelly]

I’m not sure if this confuses the post so please remove if it does I’m just showing what early caddies had as there glass mixing bowl.And definitely not for sugar.The caddy is pre 1820 and has a beautifully cut glass bowl which slides into a velvet lined aperture in between two caddies for the green and black tea.A thing of real beauty and showing the value of tea in this period.
Although I’m with Chopin coffee is king or queen depending.
FB

[chopin-liszt]

I don't think it's irreleveant at all. The man on the video is completely wrong.
It is a mixing bowl from a tea caddy, not a sugar bowl, tea caddies didn't have sugar bowls. So, FB, you've identified and illustrated the correct function of the piece.