Description:
A particularly fine mother of pearl inlaid tortoiseshell two compartment tea caddy with pagoda top and molded base having ivory facings  standing on turned ivory feet  the inside  with supplementary lids which are also inlaid .

Origin: United Kingdom

Circa: 1825

Materials: Tortoiseshell, ivory, and mother of pearl.

Size: It measures  7.6inches wide  by  4.7inches deep and it is 6.1 inches  high including feet: 19.3 cm wide by 12 cm deep by cm 15.5 high.

Condition: good over all; there is some puckering to the tortoiseshell at the back and the cavetto part of the pagoda top; see picture enlargements.

Slideshow: Tortoiseshell Tea caddy Circa 1825
  Please Click on the thumbnail image for a slide show with additional images

The caddy is inlaid to the front and sides with finely engraved mother of pearl and silver depicting stylized flowers. The mother of pearl is in separate elements. 

Detail: the mother of pearl is in separate elements, each leaf and flower being a separate piece of mother of pearl. The stems are silver. The engraved   shield shaped mother of pearl escutcheon is an unusual feature in a tortoiseshell caddy. 

 Detail:  Stylized flowers and foliage depicted with mother of pearl and silver inlaid in tortoiseshell.

 The caddy has a double pagoda top. The figuring of the tortoiseshell is striking the pieces of tortoiseshell separated by pewter lines.

 The compartments have remnants of their leading.

Slideshow: Tortoiseshell Tea caddy Circa 1825
  Please Click on the thumbnail image for a slide show with additional images