China, Canton (Guangzhou), 1736-1795.

The caddy and cover are intricately carved in various levels of relief with dense piercework and skillful undercutting to depict landscape scenes enclosed within lobed cartouches, interspersed with blossoming flowers and birds in the spandrels, all divided by bands of key-fret. The caddy is further applied with fine parcel-gilt metal mounts including a hinged handle to the top, a pair of foliate hinges to the back, and a rocaille lock with accompanying key. (5)

The cover opens to reveal three canisters, perfectly fitting inside the caddy, two for tea and one for sugar, the latter with a sliding cover that appears identical to the typical flat tops and cylindrical covers of the former.

Each canister is superbly painted with pastoral scenes of biblical figures, including the Holy Family and John the Baptist, wearing voluminous robes in a mountainous landscape with rockwork, valleys, and a church in the distance, the short sides decorated within a foliate cartouche with birds fluttering near peonies blossoming from rocky outcrops, all reserved on a yellow ground with foliate blooms borne on scrolling vines. The covers of the caddies decorated with scrolling vines in puce to the sides and blue foliage to the top.

Provenance: An old private collection housed in a Danish manor. Bruun Rasmussen, Copenhagen, Jubilæums Auktion, 6 October 1998, lot 30. A private collection in Denmark, acquired from the above, and thence by descent.
Condition: The ivory casket in good condition with minor wear, natural imperfections including small age cracks, minor nibbling, tiny chips, one corner with an old repair. The tea caddies and sugar box in exceptionally fine condition with only minor old wear and manufacturing irregularities, few minuscule nicks and losses to enamel, and some scratches. The colors remarkably fresh and crisp. Overall, this complete set is most likely the best-preserved still in existence today.
CITES: European Union Certificate number DK-2024-0001763-01, dated 20 March 2024.

Dimensions: Size 24.8 x 11.8 x 10.8 cm (the ivory casket) and 10.8 x 7.5 x 9.8 cm (each enamel canister)

Containing three canisters, two for tea (green and black) and one for sugar, this ivory chest could be locked to secure its highly valuable contents; both tea and sugar were expensive commodities during the eighteenth century.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2021, lot 604
Price: HKD 60,480 or approx. EUR 7,600 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A carved ivory tea caddy, 18^th-19^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and similar carving. Note the smaller size (18 cm) and that the interior is fitted with two bare silver cannisters only.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 23 January 2010, lot 188
Price: USD 15,000 or approx. EUR 20,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Canton enamel armorial tea canister, circa 1750
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration, albeit with an armorial motif. Note that this lot comprises only a single tea canister.

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