Tea caddy

Tea caddy
Anglo-Indian
Vizagapatam
Around 1790/1800
21 x 13 x 14 cm

This elaborately crafted box comes from Vizagapatam, an Indian coastal town known for its exquisite furniture and luxury objects in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It combines Indian craftsmanship with European design ideas and was probably intended for the British market or wealthy European merchants and officials in India.
The decoration of the box is arranged in horizontal friezes: The upper section shows large flowers with fine tendrils, while a geometricizing floral thread continues the ornament below. A wide central band depicts an idyllic landscape in which farmhouses, people and trees form a tranquil, pastoral scene. This detailed engraving reflects the fascination of European patrons for exotic, idealized depictions of India.
Such boxes were made in Vizagapatam by specialist craftsmen who specialized in fine marquetry and engraving work. They were often used as jewelry boxes, writing cases or tea containers and were coveted export goods. The metal handle on the lid indicates that the box was not only used as a decorative object, but also as a transportable container.
With its ornate design and harmoniously merging stylistic elements, this box is exemplary of Anglo-Indian art production on the threshold of the 19th century – a fascinating testimony to colonial cultural encounters and trade history.