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The term "antique" gets tossed around willy-nilly these days by those who don't properly understand what it means. "Oooh, it's an ANTIQUE from the 1980s!" Excuse me while I shrivel up and die :-P

Well, you want antique, here's a PROPER antique. This tea caddy with a horn or shell veneer over wood, accented on the inside (and base) with bone and lined with lead foil dates from the late Georgian or very early Victorian period (1700s-1800s). Tea was serious business back in the early days, and expensive! Many of the fancier "high class" storage boxes for it featured locks as this one does, although the key has long since been lost to history, sadly.

Condition wise, it's got a couple of corners damaged on the front edge, and it's missing the feet (which were probably wood). The lead foil on the inside has deteriorated a bit over the centuries, and one of the hinges has come slightly loose from the body section (but still opens/closes well). But for something that is probably around 200 years old, plus or minus a few years, it's in very good order overall, per the photos.

It measures 160x110x130mm in height.

As always I'm happy to answer any questions I can about the items I list :-) Please click or tap on the photos to enlarge for detail and to judge the condition for yourself.

$1 reserve to go!

Auctions must be paid for within 5 days of winning please.

I don't use the Buy Now options in my auctions.

Please examine the photos accompanying the auction carefully as they form part of the item's description. Most of the items I sell are antique, vintage or second hand, and as such aren't in perfect condition. They often have minor wear and tear as you would expect from items with some age to them.