VINTAGE PEWTER TEA CADDY CANISTER FUJIAN PROVINCE CHINA EARLY 20TH C.

Description

GJPaw
Auctions is pleased to offer a beautiful and stylish pewter Tea Caddy or Canister, from the Fujian Province, China.
T
ea has been an integral part of Chinese life for nearly 5000 years. Spreading world-wide to eventually become the most popular beverage in the world, the port of Xiamen (ancient Amoy) was one of the primary embarking points on the ocean Silk Road and Fujian was one of the first places that facilitated tea export to the foreign market.
The earliest storage containers for tea leaves also come from China. These were round, square or flat-sided bottle-shaped jars made of pottery or porcelain, and fitted with lids used to measure their contents. The term "tea caddy" emerged in the late 1700s, with the word "caddy" evolving from the Malay-Chinese word
kati
, meaning a measure of about six hundred grams or about twenty-one ounces (1-1/3 pounds) of tea which filled a single-compartment wooden box. A tea canister is most commonly an alternative name for a tea caddy but, like the tea chest, the tea canister could be a large container for wholesale storage. As part of tea equipage it referred to a container for holding tea made entirely in metal, as distinct from the tea chest (later called a Tea Caddy), which was made in wood with a metal lining. This superb example is made of pewter and was probably used in a commercial venue. It measures 7.25 inches in diameter by 7.5 inches in height (18.4 cm by 19.0 cm). It is in very good condition and shows wear consistent with use, including minor dents and surface scratches. It dates to the early-20th century. A gorgeous design and object in its own right, it would make a superb addition to any collection of Chinese tea artifacts.
GJPaw
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