Description

Regency Circa 1815

From our Tea Caddy collection, we are delighted to offer this Regency Chinoiserie Penwork Tea Caddy. The Tea Caddy of rectangular sarcophagus form is raised upon four brass ball feet with matching brass twin loop lion mark handles to either side. Crafted from Sycamore the Tea Caddy has a slight tapered body with a raised convex lid. The exterior features a heavily decorated exterior with each panel depicting Chinoiserie scenes, the front shows a greek or roman hall with a maiden laid to the centre below a border containing two plaques with greek lettering which bands around the entire body. The sides show two countryside scenes with two figures to each, whilst the rear shows a large landscape scene with a village to the background between a large body of water with boats and two figures to the foreground beneath a tree. The exterior is finished with a border to the lid with overlapping shapes framing the top scene with two figures surrounded by rocks and foliage as one of the figures sits upon a Chinese day bed with their pipe and a diamond shaped bone escutcheon. The interior of the Tea Caddy continues the penwork Chinoiserie scenes with a large landscape to the inside lid depicting a small river branch a great Chinese pagoda possibly the one featured in Kew gardens, London with a figure holding a British Union Jack flag. Each lid is beautifully decorated and features a turned bone handle, when removed traces of the original silver foil lining can be seen inside. The Tea Caddy dates to the early 19th century during the short lived Regency era (1811-1820) and the reign of Prince George circa 1815.

Measurements (inches) 6.1 High x 8.66 Wide x 5.3 Deep

The Chinoiserie Penwork Tea Caddy comes complete with working lock and tasselled key.

Sycamore, also known as Harewood is a member of the Maple family, found in Europe. It is light yellow in colour and is often a very clean wood, with a straight, fine grain. The wood is often pippy. However, these pips are usually a very similar colour to the rest of the wood making them hardly visible.

Chinoiserie is a decorative style in Western art, furniture, and architecture that was undertaken particularly in the 18th century. It is characterized by the use of Chinese motifs and techniques hence the name Chinoiserie.

Regency is an era of British history between 1811 and 1820. The Regency era was initiated by King George III first suffered a debilitating illness in the late 1780s. He relapsed into his mental illness in 1810 and by the Regency Act in 1811 his eldest son George, Prince of Wales, was appointed prince regent to discharge royal functions. When George III died in 1820, the Prince Regent succeeded him as George IV.

Penwork, or pen and ink, was used on boxes to illustrate picturesque scenes and, at times, to document a vacation or visit to a foreign country. The prints would often depict people, landscapes, birds, insects, plants, flowers, and animals, as well as stories from Greek mythology or depictions of spa towns. Each of these drawings was very accurately drawn and beautifully varnished with shellac. It is likely that some penwork was commissioned by professional artists. Many of these works were highly detailed, showcasing the skill and expertise of the artist. Penwork was primarily a pastime practised by women (some of whom were just as skilled as the professionals) which explains the presence of so many examples throughout history.

With every purchase from Mark Goodger Antiques, you will receive our latest catalogue, a Certificate of Authenticity, detailed care instructions for your chosen piece and an independent invoice (for insurance purposes) will be enclosed. As well as being protected by a no-hassle, money-back policy, your piece will be entirely insured during the shipping process to ensure the safety of your item.

Additional information