18th Century Dutch Delftware Blue & White Chinoiserie Tea Caddy

This antique Dutch Delftware tea caddy presents a classic blue-and-white palette, executed in underglaze cobalt on a tin-glazed white ground. Its rectangular silhouette with bevelled shoulders is both elegant and architectural, and the chinoiserie decoration—figures, birds and stylised flora—evokes the 18th-century European imagination of the East.

Tea was a high-value imported commodity in 18th-century Europe, and the tea caddy became a discreet symbol of refinement: it protected precious tea leaves and also served as a decorative statement within the ritual of tea drinking. Delftware is prized for exactly this combination of bright tin glaze, expressive cobalt painting and a direct link to the domestic culture of the period.

Material/Technique:
Tin-glazed earthenware (Delftware); underglaze cobalt-blue decoration.

Date/Origin:
Dutch Delftware, 18th century (working dating: c. 1760–1790).

Condition:
The caddy body is in excellent antique condition with well-preserved decoration and attractive age craquelure. The lid has been broken and glued (restored); please study the photographs. The caddy itself remains highly displayable.

Dimensions & Weight:
Height 13.3 cm (including lid)
Width 7 cm
Depth 5.7 cm
Weight 303 g

Please study the accompanying photographs carefully as they form an integral part of this description.
If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them.