Tea Caddy
Medium
silver gilt
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":0.134,"width":0.096,"depth":0.058}}
Classification
Silver
Department
Decorative Art and Design
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Thomas S. Grasselli Memorial Collection
Accession Number
1943.179
Tags
male
About this artwork
In the 1600s and 1700s, silver played a significant role in projecting wealth, status, power, and ritual in British life. Tea was likewise a highly valued commodity, and as such, silver caddies like this one were designed to display the social distinction of its owner. This canister’s prominently sloping shoulders were designed by Paul Jacques de Lamerie in the early 1730s and became a standard form for tea caddies by the end of the decade.