There are many legends surrounding the origins of tea. The Chinese legend is that Emperor Shen Nung was boiling his drinking water when some leaves from a nearby tea shrub landed in the cauldron. He tasted the new drink and liked it and tea was born. The Indian legend is that Prince Bodhidharma who had converted to Buddhism went to China in the sixth century. He took to chewing leaves from the tea shrub to stay alert for prayer and meditation and started the craze for tea.
What is know as fact, is that tea was already known as a beverage during the time of Confucius (551-479BC), increasing in popularity during the Han Dynasty (206BC- 220AD). During the Tang Dynasty (618-906 AD) tea became the national drink of China.
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in China by sea in 1516. The Chinese allowed them to settle only at Macao. The Portuguese made much of this trade access and carried silk and other products, including tea, back to Lisbon. Competition arrived with the ships of the Dutch East India Company who also reached the coast of Japan in 1609. By 1610, the Dutch were transporting tea from Japan and China via Java back to Europe. Tea became fashionable among the wealthy Dutch merchants but was too expense for the rest of the population.
However, the biggest impact that the introduction of tea had on a European country was in England. Until 1657 teas found in England came from Dutch sources. It was not until 1669 that the English East India Company imported its first shipment to England. Charles II re-charted the English East India Company giving it exclusive rights to trade with the Far East.
The passion for tea drinking led to the new products for storing and serving tea and one of these products was the tea caddy. Tea caddies came in all materials, shapes and sizes. Larger tea caddies are often called tea chests and locks were added to these to protect the tea from theft from servants or visitors. Tea caddies are an interesting area for collecting, though there are copies of earlier styles on the market. Many auctions and stores will have tea caddies for sale. Worth noting when purchasing is the quality of the item and if a tea chest retains its original interior.
Jar and Lid, Jingdezhen, China ca.1680 Porcelain painted in underglaze blue
Tea Caddy Lead Glazed Earthenware, English, 1798
Victoria and Albert Museum
Tea Chest, Abraham Roentgen (German 1711-1793) Made: 1750-55
Oak, cedar, veneered with rosewood; brass, iron, and steel
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Tea caddy, Jennens and Bettridge (makers) 1851 Painted papier- mâché
Victoria and Albert Museum