Tea caddy spoon 1819 - 1820

John Bettridge crafted this silver tea caddy spoon in Birmingham, England sometime between 1817 and 1830. At this time tea drinking had become a ritual in British society and silver items like this became associated with wealth and gentility. The spoon’s material and design reflect the country’s colonial project, which involved the extraction of resources like tea from places like India. The shape is derived from the Rococo style, popular among European aristocrats and members of the upper class. The spoon’s elaborate embellishments reflect the culture of collecting, conspicuous consumption, and elaborate display. Historians of art and culture rely on a wide range of sources when they consider the meaning of objects like this. These sources include trade records, colonial histories, and design publications.