The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 19, 2024

Tea Caddy

Tea Caddy

1741–1742
(British, 1688–1751)
England, London, 18th century
silver gilt
Overall: 13.4 x 9.6 x 5.8 cm (5 1/4 x 3 3/4 x 2 5/16 in.)
The Thomas S. Grasselli Memorial Collection 1943.179
Location: 203A British Painting and Decorative Arts

Did You Know?

The curving shape of this tea caddy is echoed by the scrolling lines and swirling naturalistic ornament on all four sides.

Description

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.
  • ?-1943
    Mrs. Thomas S. [Emilie Schmidt] Grasselli [1877-1953], Shaker Heights, OH
    1943-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 152 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 152 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 192 archive.org
  • British Gallery Reinstallation (June 2020). The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer).
    All That Glitters: Great Silver Vessels in Cleveland's Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 23, 1994-January 8, 1995).
    No legacy exhibitions.
    35th Anniversary Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 20-September 30, 1951).
  • {{cite web|title=Tea Caddy|url=false|author=Paul Jacques de Lamerie|year=1741–1742|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1943.179