Dating from the first half of the 18th century, the caddy is made from padauk with decorative paktong metal mounts and ogee feet. The top opens to reveal the original metal cannisters and the caddy is a good untouched colour. The use of padauk rather than mahogany for the caddy’s construction, plus the paktong mounts, which is a metal that originated in China and was used for items made for the European market, all point towards the caddy being made in China for the English market. It would have been an expensive commission and examples like this, especially those in such an original condition are rare.