Art Deco cocktail shaker in glass and silver, of continental origin and dating to the 1930s.

The shaker is formed with a clear glass body of gently tapering shape, rising from a circular foot and narrowing towards the neck. The proportions are balanced and typical of the period, where clean lines and practical use were central to design.

The mount is fitted with solid silver components including the collar, integrated strainer and detachable cap, each stamped .800 grade silver, consistent with continental European manufacture, most likely German.

The strainer is built into the upper section, allowing the shaker to be used directly without the need for additional components. The domed cap completes the form and sits securely above the strainer, maintaining the streamlined appearance associated with Art Deco barware.

Cocktail shakers of this type were produced during a period when cocktail culture became widely established across Europe. Designs combined glass and silver to balance durability with presentation, while maintaining a practical function for regular use.

A well balanced example of an Art Deco cocktail shaker with clear period character.

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Tortoiseshell tea caddy with mother of pearl inlay, of bow fronted rectangular form with a domed lid and flared plinth base, raised upon four tagua nut bun feet and dating to the Regency period.

The exterior is veneered in tortoiseshell with each panel framed by silver stringing, defining the structure of the caddy. The front and lid are decorated with a quilted style mother of pearl inlay, composed of repeating diamonds, circles and crosses, creating a consistent patterned surface across both panels.

The lid is surmounted by a shaped silver vacant initial plaque, matching the escutcheon to the front.

Opening the tea caddy reveals an interior faced in ivory, with a red velvet lined inner lid. The interior is fitted with twin tea caddy compartments, each with tortoiseshell lids and turned handles.

The tea caddy dates to the Regency period, circa 1820.

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Green tortoiseshell tea caddy dating to the Georgian period, circa 1790 during the reign of George III.

The exterior is finished in vibrant green tortoiseshell and mounted with silver stringing, a vacant silver initial plaque and matching silver escutcheon.

The interior is faced in boxwood and fitted with two tortoiseshell lids, each mounted with turned bone handles. When removed, the lids reveal twin tea storage compartments retaining visible traces of their original lining.

The tea caddy remains complete with a working lock and tasselled key and is a rare example of late eighteenth century tortoiseshell tea caddies.

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Antique oak letter box with clock dial, dating to 1878.

The body is constructed from solid English oak with a cross gable roof and stepped plinth base. The front is fitted with a brass letter aperture with black painted “Letters” beneath, positioned below a circular silvered clock dial with black Roman numerals. The dial is flanked by the initials VR for Victoria Regina.

A glazed hinged door sits below, opening to reveal the interior, which retains its original hook for the clock key. The inside also bears a kitemark dating the piece to the second half of the nineteenth century. The clock movement has been professionally serviced.

Post letter boxes of this type were used in the lobbies of hotels, large country houses and clubs, allowing guests to deposit correspondence for collection. Letters would then be gathered by staff and forwarded for posting.

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Literature

Mark Goodger 25th Anniversary Catalogue page 51

Rosewood sewing box of slight sarcophagus form, dating to the latter part of the Georgian period, circa 1830, during the reign of William IV. The box stands on four turned ribbed feet and rises to a convex lid.

The exterior is decorated with scrolling floral brass inlay to each side, framed by a border of engine turned decoration. A brass inlaid shield shaped escutcheon completes the exterior.

The interior is lined in dark purple velvet with a ruched white silk panel to the inside of the lid, behind which is additional storage for papers or sewing materials. The upper tray is fitted with carved mother of pearl sewing accoutrements and can be lifted out to access further storage beneath.

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Miniature tortoiseshell tea caddy, dating to the Regency period, circa 1820. The caddy with a tortoiseshell exterior is decorated to the front with a pressed starburst design centred by a silver initials plaque engraved FW, beneath a square silver escutcheon.

The domed lid is edged with silver quarter stringing and surmounted by a silver ball finial. The caddy stands on four silver bun feet, elevating it from the base.

The interior retains its original pink velvet lined lid with a turned bone handle and tortoiseshell lid. Traces of the original silver foil lining remain visible within the tea compartment.

This example is notable for its unusually small scale, making it a rare model within tortoiseshell tea caddies of the period.

The tea caddy is complete with a working lock and tasselled key.

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Sterling silver tea caddy of cylindrical form with a slightly tapered body, dating to 1911. The caddy stands on three straight legs and is cast with swags of bellflowers meeting at bows.

Each leg is decorated with a small oval cartouche featuring a flower head at the top, above further vertical bellflower decoration running down the legs.

The lid is surmounted by a traditional English Tudor rose finial. One leg is marked with the registration number 571758.

The tea caddy is hallmarked John Round & Son Ltd, Sheffield, 1911.

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Mark Goodger Antiques has handled Georgian, Regency and Victorian tea caddies for decades, covering examples in tortoiseshell, pressed horn, burr woods, fruitwood, japanned surfaces, Tunbridge ware and silver. Our stock regularly includes sarcophagus forms, bombe shapes, novelty fruit caddies and rare interior configurations.

Through continued study of construction methods, veneer combinations, period inlay techniques and interior composition, we place particular emphasis on authenticity and correct attribution. Understanding which materials were used together, how interiors were finished, and how hinges and mounts were constructed is essential when assessing genuine eighteenth and nineteenth century tea caddies.

Shagreen tea chest of oval form, raised on four silver feet and finished in black shagreen, with a central silver loop handle and shaped escutcheon to the front. The tea chest dates to the Georgian period during the early reign of George III, dated 1769.

The hinged lid opens to a fitted interior lined in red velvet, secured with a ribbon hinge. Inside, the chest contains two sterling silver tea caddies and a single sterling silver sugar bowl, all housed within the interior.

Each silver component is cast and chased with scrolling decoration and blossoming floral work, with both tea caddies engraved with a monogram. The silver is hallmarked Sterling, London, by Samuel Taylor and dated 1769.

The use of shagreen combined with silver mounts is typical of high quality English boxes produced in the late 18th century, particularly during the early years of George III’s reign.

The tea chest retains its working lock and is complete with its original tasselled key.

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Tea caddy in coopered barrel form, modelled as a miniature barrel and raised on a mahogany plinth with a cavetto edge, dating to the early Victorian period, circa 1840. The body with a well patinated surface bound by two thick brass straps, constructed to replicate the appearance of a full sized coopered barrel while retaining the functionality of a tea caddy.

The lid, also with a cavetto edge, is inlaid with a star motif and surmounted by a turned finial in the form of an acorn. To the front, the caddy is inlaid in ebony with the word Tea, executed in a three dimensional effect.

The interior is fitted for use as a tea caddy. This example is highly unusual in its execution, with the coopered barrel form in miniature scale and quite possibly unique.

Such pieces were produced during a period when tea caddies were highly sought after, and this example would have likely served as a novelty advertising or shop display piece.

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Provenance

-Exhibited at the East India Company, Mayfair, London

-Grosvenor House antique fair 1970’s purchased by a private collector

Coromandel writing box by Fisher of 188 Strand, of rectangular form edged in brass with a fitted interior, featuring a concealed spring loaded drawer compartment.

The exterior is veneered in coromandel, a dense and highly figured hardwood favoured for high quality writing boxes of the nineteenth century. The surface is framed with brass edging and stringing to the lid and front, with a circular brass initial plaque mounted to the top alongside a matching circular escutcheon. The box is fitted with flush campaign style loop handles to each side, reinforcing its intended use as a portable writing case.

Opening the box reveals a dark red leather writing slope with blind and gold tooled borders. The interior is faced in coromandel with brass strengthening to the corners, and arranged with a practical layout including twin crown top inkwells, a removable pen tray and additional compartments, one with a fitted lid.

Beneath the slope are satinwood lined storage compartments accessed from both the upper and lower sections, each with a central tab. Both interior lids are stamped with the retailer’s mark for Fisher, 188 Strand, London.

A concealed mechanism is housed beneath the left hand compartment. By removing the pin and engaging the release within the lock plate, a spring loaded section is triggered, revealing a hidden compartment fitted with three drawers, a feature typical of higher quality writing boxes of the period.

The writing box dates to the mid nineteenth century.

The box is complete with a working lock and tasselled key.

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