England, London / 1741–42
Tea Caddy (lid)
Tea Caddy (lid)
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Tea Caddy (lid) as silver (England, London · 1741–42).
WHY IT’S INTERESTING
This is the lid to a tea caddy. See cover record.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this silver as silver gilt and credits Paul Jacques de Lamerie (British, 1688–1751).
The museum's collection notes: 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 were designed to display the social distinction of its owner. The prominently sloping shoulders of this lid's accompanying canister 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.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtTea Caddy (lid)Original explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.