
Collection Online as of December 2, 2023
Part of a set. See all set records
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.b
203A British Painting and Decorative Arts
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.