Hygra: A Regency Neoclassical Rosewood Tea Chest with Brass inlay Circa 1810.

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Antique Boxes in English Society
1760 -1900
by ANTIGONE
Tea Caddies and Tea

Tea Caddies and Tea

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A Regency Neoclassical Rosewood Tea Chest with Brass inlay Circa 1810.

A Regency neoclassical tea chest of oblong form with a gadrooned edge to the top, brass inlay to the front and top, embossed gilt brass side handles, and embossed brass feet.
Earlier pieces featuring brass inlaid ornament have an unrivalled purity of design. The brass motifs are well separated and is of stylized and restrained form. The decoration and form are classical rather than naturalistic.

It measures 12 inches wide by 6 inches deep and it is 7 inches high including feet: 30cm wide by 15cm deep by 18cm high.

Detail: the inlaid brass escutcheon is part of the overall design. The inlay is executed to a very high tolerance with very little space surrounding the brass.

These pieces were executed with immaculate precision, respecting and enhancing the natural beauty of the wood.

Thomas Hope designed furniture with brass inlay in controlled stylized patterns.

Examples of the later type of inlay are at:

Hygra: Rosewood and Brass Inlaid Tea Chest Circa 1825.

and : Hygra: Rosewood and Brass Inlaid Tea Chest Circa 1825.

regneo04.jpg (96272 bytes) A Regency Neoclassical Rosewood Tea Chest with Brass inlay Circa 1810.

regneo07.jpg (83375 bytes) A Regency Neoclassical Rosewood Tea Chest with Brass inlay Circa 1810.

Detail of the top:

the brass inlay is symmetrical and inlaid into a well-figured panel of rosewood which is crossbanded with rosewood and framed with gadrooning.

The top design is laid out with symmetry the separate motifs around a central element. The style and the form are very different to the brass inlay work which was more usual only a few years later.

For comparison see:

Antique Boxes, Tea Caddies, and Society -- 1700--1880, ISBN: 0764316885 Antigone Clarke & Joseph O'Kelly, A Schiffer Book for collectors

Inside the chest are two lift-out lidded canisters and a cut glass bowl. The lid is lined with velvet.

This is the classic form for a three compartment tea chest. There is a central cut crystal bowl flanked by two hinge lidded lift out canisters.

It is interesting to compare it to a chest from the 1790's:

Hygra: A Harewood Three Compartment Tea Caddy circa 1790.

A Regency Neoclassical Rosewood Tea Chest with Brass inlay Circa 1810.

The lift out canisters retain much of their original lead.

The lids have a continuous hinge are of mahogany construction and have their lids veneered with rosewood crossbanded with rosewood.

The heavy cut crystal bowl.
The bowl is a particularly beautiful example and original to the chest.

For the historical context of this caddy read the relevant part of Antigone's Online Antique Box Book. If you click here you will go there.

We have written a highly illustrated book on Antique Boxes and Tea caddies which has been published by Schiffer Books USA. This tea caddy has been specially photographed for inclusion in the next edition.