19th Century Chinese Swatow (Shantou) Pewter Tea Cadddy with Birds & Flowers Engraving

This cylindrical Pewter tea caddy made for export in Swato (Shantou) in China during the 19th century. It has flower design engraving to the top and sides of the outer lid and four discrete panels on the main body of the caddy, each with a different birds and flower engraving.

This tea caddy has lived a life and has the bumps and dents to show for it. The outer and inner lids go on and off with minimal effort so this could still used for storing tea.

Pewter was (and still is) regarded as a good storage material for tea because it is odourless, rust free and long lasting.