Original Georgian Tea Chest with Provenance Circa 1770
From our Tea Caddy collection, we are delighted to offer a stunning untouched Georgian Mahogany Tea Chest. The Tea Chest comprising of a veneered Mahogany exterior upon an Oak base with beautifully inlaid alternating herringbone Boxwood and Ebony stringing surrounded by book matched and crossbanded quarter veneer panels of Mahogany. The cavetto lid features a very unusual crossbanded book-matched Laburnum border. The Tea Chest is fitted with the original brass handle and scrollwork escutcheon. The exterior is an exceptional example of truly untouched patination and wear with the Mahogany giving off a beautiful colour surrounded by excellent craftsmanship. The interior features the original green baize lining to the lid and three tin Caddies located in separate compartments. The Caddies have a partially visible decoration to the exterior which has worn over time. Located to the rear of the Caddies is a Mote spoon tray.
Provenance This Tea Chest was part of the Stephen Wood M.B.E Chippendale Collection from 1944 until 2022
The Tea Chest comes complete with a working lock and key.
Mahogany is the name given to many types of tropical hardwood and can be found in Africa, India and South America, most of which are a red-brown colour with a fine, even grain. This makes it easily workable and gives it a durable finish which attributes to its popularity with many kinds of furniture.
Oak has many global variations. European Oak, also known as English or French Oak, is found in Europe. It is a well known and very popular wood due to its different types and strength yielding many uses. It can have a very simple clean look or a highly figured finish varying from tree to tree. European Oak can be Golden-yellow to light-brown in colour. Brown Oak is from the United Kingdom and its name is derived from its red-brown colour which is resulted from an attack by “beef-steak” fungus. This usually gives the wood an even colour, however, sometimes the wood can be streaked with a light brown giving it the name Tiger Oak.
Boxwood “Buxus sempervirens” can be found in Europe, Northwest Africa and Southwest Asia. It is a light cream that turns darker to brown when exposed to light. The trees are very small meaning it is suited to smaller projects like edging or inlay instead of veneers.
Ebony is often almost completely black with very little visible grain often with a subtle red/purple hue.
This wood is very expensive due to the slow-growing trees which can often be gnarly affecting the yield of straight workable wood.
Most ebonies are very dense making work with hand tools very difficult and can quickly blunt cutting tools. This density however offers an excellent finish on turned items.
Laburnum or Scotch laburnum, is found in Central Europe. It is a hardwood which is moderately heavy with a coarse texture. Laburnum is a rich olive-green colour which will progressively darken with the age of the wood.
Cavetto is a concave moulding with a regular curved profile that is part of a circle, widely used in architecture as well as furniture, picture frames, metalwork and other decorative arts.
Mote Spoon, a multi-use spoon with a perforated bowl and spiked end often made from silver. A Mote spoon’s primary use was to collect tea from a cup and act as a sieve leaving the water behind and collecting the loose leaf. The secondary use was to unblock the spout of a teapot with the sharp end. Moat spoons are relatively rare
With every purchase from Mark Goodger Antiques, you will receive our latest catalogue, a Certificate of Authenticity, detailed care instructions for your chosen piece and an independent invoice (for insurance purposes) will be enclosed. As well as being protected by a no-hassle, money-back policy, your piece will be entirely insured during the shipping process to ensure the safety of your item.
