Early Tunbridge Ware Tea Caddy with Isometric Cube and Van Dyke Patterns – c1830

Description

Heading : Tunbridge Ware – Early Two Compartment Tea Caddy with Isometric Cube and van Dyke patterns – c1830
Date : c1830
Period : George IV – William IV
Origin : Tonbridge or Tunbridge Wells
Decoration : This is what’s known as a ‘sarcophagus’ style box. with the lid having four canted (angled) edges. and the same applying to the lower part of the main body; the flat face of the lid features the iconic Tunbridge Ware ‘isometric cube’ pattern within continuous keyline stringing and a small version of vanDyke triangles; this same combination is used both above and below the main decorative band around the four square faces of the body. which is made up from the equally recognisable ‘full sized’ van Dyke triangles; on all the edges of the box. the veneers are finished by thin strips of a lighter wood – an exceedingly aesthetic feature; the keyhole is punctuated by a small mandala-shaped escutcheon. flush with the face of the box; the whole sits on four round wooden feet. internally – a standard two-compartment caddy interior with the lids both having diamond-shaped tiles and small. turned. wooden handles. sitting on ledged edges; however. the caddy voids have both been re-lined with a padded velvet base – with tabs to lift it out – and silk-lined panels to the sides – this obviously makes the box more appropriate for something a little less utilitarian than loose tea ! The lid is lined with the original textured blue paper. and base similarly finished in green.
Size : width 20.7 cm – height 12.5 cm – depth 13.0 cm
Condition : excellent; some of the cube and van Dyke tiles are a little warped parallel to their grains with some being corrugated or having very fine splits. but all are firmly seated; everything else is in very fine condition
Restoration : re-lined tea compartments as above
Weight :  760 grams

Notes : There are numerous ‘design features’ which mark this out as being highly likely to have come from the Wise family factories which ran – concurrently for a time – in both Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells; the ‘miniature’ van Dykes and the mandala-shaped escutcheon have both been seen on other items of confirmed Wise provenance. and the use of pieces of veneer including knots to make up the isometric cubes is another recurring motif of the family’s work. Date-wise. this is obviously later than the work of the first George Wise with its applied prints. penwork and gilding. and it does exhibit some less-refined traits than pieces dating to the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign – somewhere in the middle would seem to be reasonable. which points towards the work of George Wise II. around the date given above.