A most handsome George III hexagonal shaped tea caddy made in England, c1790. This very attractive single caddy is an extremely delightful shape and the quality of the flame Mahogany veneers and inlay is superb.

The tea caddy is veneered on all sides with a fantastic rich coloured flame Mahogany, the grain of which is delightful and very attractive.

Each of the six vertical panels are beautifully edged at the top with a striking fine Boxwood  and  Mahogany stringing, the striped effect of dark and light coloured woods is delicate indeed.

Around the base portion of the tea caddy on all six sides, is a band of a darker wood, possibly Rosewood. This provides a firm looking base to the caddy.

The hexagonal top of the tea caddy is decorated with an oval panel in which is a fine marquetry floral spray. The oval is in a light wood, possibly Boxwood and has a slightly smaller oval of Mahogany inset creating the frame for the inner floral motif.

The flower motif has a branch with foliage, two fully opened flowers and a flower bud about to burst open at the top.

Lifting the hexagonal shaped hinged lid reveals a single tea compartment inside. None of the original lining has survived inside the caddy or the lid.

There is a  brass lock, but without its key. The escutcheon on the front face of the tea caddy is inlaid with a slightly lighter wood and is an elongated diamond in shape.

The lid is hinged with two brass hinges, these I believe to be the original hinges to the tea caddy, as is the lock.

The underside of the caddy has a recessed base in which there is a faded green baize material which may be the original base material.

A most handsome George III hexagonal Mahogany Tea Caddy, inlaid with an oval floral marquetry panel on the lid and strung with Boxwood and Mahogany, 1790.

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Size and Weight: (values are approximate)

• 6" (153mm) in length
• 4½" (114mm) in width
• 4" (100mm) in height
• 12¾oz (361gms) in weight

Condition:

This very attractive tea caddy of a delightful hexagonal shape is in good honest condition. The veneers are in good order generally with a rich colour and beautiful grain.

There are only minor imperfections to this caddy. There are a few tiny areas where the stringing is missing a few tiny bits of veneer, which hardly shows. There is also one small area on the lid, top left, where the veneer has been shaved off, but again, the wood underneath is almost of the same colour and so does not really show or detract from this lovely caddy. There are a few slight cracks in the grain of the veneer, this to be expected on a caddy of this age that has not been restored.

On the front face near the base, there is some darker staining, which I believe may be a small and old ink stain, now just part of its history and character. Also, there is a slight raised area in the floral marquetry, but there is no problem, the veneer does not appear to be lifting and is perfectly sound.

There is a bit of play in the hinges with a few loose screws. This should easily be rectified if required. A screw is missing from the lock on the inside of the caddy - not a problem.

A fine and honest George III hexagonal tea caddy, one with history and character, a lovely one for the collector of tea caddies.