This tea caddy is divided internally and features a double-hinged lid fitted with a lock on each side. Such caddies became fashionable in Britain in the 1780s and enabled both green and black tea to be stored in its own compartment.
Its maker, Daniel Pontifex, entered into an apprenticeship with his uncle Robert Jones in 1781 with his first mark registered as a plate worker in partnership with William Fountain in 1791, and then as an individual silversmith in 1794. He is mostly known for dessert dishes and baskets, with his work consistently demonstrating a high standard of production in fine and elegant designs.
