Tea box

Date1860-1910

MediumSoftwood

DimensionsOH: 17 1/8"; OW: 16 1/2"; OD: 16 1/2"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1953-1095

DescriptionTea box: "square" box used for shipping tea constructed of planks nailed and dovetailed together at corners; bottom composed of two planks nailed to sides; sides originally covered with printed paper labels.
Label TextWooden crates were used to ship loose tea leaves from Asia to the West. They were lined with lead foil or later aluminum foil to keep air and moisture out during the shipping process. Asian merchants often painted these tea chests or covered them in printed paper with labels that carried the name of the consigner or the ship it traveled on. Surviving tea chests are rare as they were usually reused or destroyed once the shipment arrived.

Until the mid-nineteenth century, most of the tea arriving in the United States came from China. Once Japan opened its doors to trade with America in 1859 however, Japanese tea quickly became half of all tea imported into the country.
Markingsprinted paper labels pasted on sides but writing mostly illegible; one side still reads "EXTRA SUPERIOR JAPAN".

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