Silver tea caddy with repoussé rural scene

Chester 1912 - Nathan & Hayes
 
This charming tea caddy from 1912 is by the important silversmiths Nathan and Hayes. It depicts a countryside scene with the village in the background and Teniers like figures going about their business in the front. The figures include a man on horseback, another man sitting on a log under the hedge and various couples.

The decoration has been hammered from behind to create a deep relief known as repoussé, a technique particularly popular at the turn of the last century. Chester is one of the rarer assey offices, having closed in the 1960s, and 1912 interestingly is the last year that Ridley Hayes appears in the account books of Nathan and Hayes.
 
Ideal for use at afternoon tea or on a regular basis, this caddy will keep your tea dry now just as well as it did back in 1912.