A large pewter-lined burlwood tea caddy, Qing dynasty, 18th century 清十八世紀 癭木根套錫胎隨形茶葉大罐

Naturalistically hollowed from a burlwood trunk, the present tea caddy demonstrated the reverence for nature among the tea-drinking society in the Qing dynasty. The variegated whorls and knots on the exterior created multiple facets for the piece to attain an attractive chocolate-brown patina.

It is particularly rare to find tea caddies of such generous proportions. Such large caddies were probably used for long-term storage of loose tea leaves, the interior was lined with pewter to prevent moisture and oxidation of the leaves.

本品取癭木根隨形雕製，中心鏤空，展現清代品茶文化對自然之崇尚 。罐身樹幹紋理繁複精細，褐地包漿優雅可喜。

此罐尺寸龐大，甚為難得，或乃用於儲存茶葉，內包錫胎防止茶葉受潮及氧化。