Rijksmuseum

Tea caddy

Date

c. 1700

Medium

tortoise shell, wood (plant material), silver (metal)

Institution

Rijksmuseum

Even though more and more people began drinking tea at the end of the century, it was still considered a luxury. Hence, the exotic and costly tortoiseshell – against which the silver stands out handsomely – used for this caddy was a fitting choice. The silver inlay decoration is freely conceived and refers only distantly to Asia. Eusebius Voet, or his brother Hendrik, was probably responsible for this design.

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