This pair of tea caddies are made from fruitwood and are carved to resemble melons. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, fruit-form tea caddies such as these were very fashionable and could also take the shape of pears, apples and pumpkins. They were often made from the fruitwood appropriate for their shape, for example a pear caddy might be made from pear wood. Fruit-form caddies were inspired by Chinese containers in the shape of an aubergine, a symbol of good luck in Chinese culture.
