Description
Book SynopsisTea was introduced to Britain in the 1650s. Its popularity burgeoned over the following two-and-a-half centuries, until it became a defining feature of British culture.
Drawing inspiration from China, British craftsmen worked to display their skills on numerous tea-related objects, which ritualised the process of drinking tea and imbued it with luxury status. Calling on an array of different materials and techniques, they developed a huge variety of canisters and lockable containers for storing and preserving this precious commodity.
Tea chests and caddies were not merely functional items that might lurk at the back of the kitchen – they were intended for display and were an essential accoutrement for fashionable women. As the habit of tea drinking filtered down the social scale, caddies were made in larger numbers and in more affordable forms.
This book brings together a great range of decorative antique tea containers, presenting them alongside detailed historical research conducted into their making and their place in British society across the centuries. It also explores the materials and techniques employed. With historical art showing tea’s integration into British society, examples of old trade cards and original designs, and a wealth of illustrations of the objects themselves, this is a must-buy book for historians, collectors and those interested in the decorative arts.
Table of ContentsPreface – Anne Stevens
Acknowledgements
PART I: Setting the Scene
A short history of tea and tea drinking in Britain – Richard Rose and Richard Dey
Overview of tea chests and caddies – Anne Stevens, Kate Richenburg and Gillian Walkling
Making, Merchandising and Pricing – Clive Edwards
Components of tea chests and caddies – Anne Stevens, Kate Richenburg and Gillian Walkling
PART II: The Objects, Techniques and Materials
Wood: plain or inlaid – Anne Stevens and Gillian Walkling
Tunbridge ware – Brian Austen
Mauchline ware – Anne Stevens and Kate Richenburg
Japanned wood – Rufus Bird
Penwork – Anne Stevens and Kate Richenburg
Ivory – Gillian Walkling
Tortoiseshell – Gillian Walkling
Mother-of-pearl – Gillian Walkling
Rolled paper – Anne Stevens and Kate Richenburg
Straw work – Anne Stevens and Kate Richenburg
Japanned metal – Anne Stevens and Kate Richenburg
Papier mâché – Anne Stevens and Yvonne Jones
Silver – Jeanne Sloane
Pewter and other metals – Kate Richenburg
Ceramics – Sally Kevill-Davies
Glass – Charles Hadjamach
Enamel – Julia Clarke
Miscellaneous – Anne Stevens, Kate Richenburg and Gillian Walkling
Teapoys and other large tea containers – Anne Stevens
A case study – Anne Stevens and Kate Richenburg
Appendix I: Comparable values of money in terms of purchasing power
