18th C. English Wooden Tea Caddy - Working Music Box

Europe, England, ca. late 18th to early 19th century CE. A gorgeous inlaid wood tea caddy from the Regency period with an integrated late 19th century cog-driven music box. A small, ornate brass key and latch allows it to lock. A small octagonal brass loop is attached to the top by a brass plate. A large brass key, with an openwork motif of "LB", allows one to wind the music box. Inlaid light wood creates ovoid starburst motifs on the front and top, along with an inlaid light wood strip down the center of the front and lid. Dark red velvet lines the interior. When tea first came to England in the later half of the 17th century, it was incredibly expensive and relatively rare, but by the middle of the 18th century, it had become a desirable commodity for upper class and aspiring upper class households. The word caddy, derived from the Malay word "kati", signifies a container for protecting tea leaves. This example would have once had a wooden internal box (or a series of small ones) for putting tea leaves. Size: 4.2" L x 7.15" W x 4.5" H (10.7 cm x 18.2 cm x 11.4 cm)

Provenance: private Los Angeles County, California, USA collection

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#146453
Condition Report: The box has small scratches and chips on surface, and wear commensurate with age to the velvet interior, but overall in beautiful condition. The music works inside is probably from the late 19th century rather than being original to the tea caddy. Hinges are modern replacements.