A tea caddy by Abraham Roentgen
Palisander veneer on plum, cherry, oak, softwood. Brass and zinc-plated brass mountings, iron screws. Rectangular coffer with pagoda top and protruding base on bracket feet. Containing three compartments with jars for tea. A concealed drawer on the right side with a spring mechanism that can be opened via a hidden button under the front edge. With fine vertical veneer and two contrasting horizontal brass borders. Restored, subsequent cracks to the base and further inconspicuous cracks, the key replaced. H without handle 16.3, W 24, D 15 cm.
Herrnhaag or Neuwied, 1745 - 55.
Literature
A similar box by this ebenist from Herrnhut in: Stratmann-Döhler, Mechanische Wunder. Edles Holz, Karlsruhe 1998, no. 1.
Cf. Fabian, Roentgen-Möbel aus Neuwied, Bad Neustadt 1986, illus. 656 ff.
Greber, Abraham und David Roentgen. Möbel für Europa, vol. 1, Starnberg 1980, mentions that boxes were already offered in a "Frankfurter Avertissement von 1754" (...) " in 1769 all 42 "kostbare" and "precieuse eingelegte" boxes are listed. These include: "Schreib-Chatullen", "Damen- und- und Dockadilien Kästgen", "Thee-, Schreib-, Quadrillen- und Geld- oder Juwelen Chatollen", some "mit einer verborgenen Schublade, welche von selbst herausspringt". (p. 67)