This is a really interesting Georgian mahogany tea chest on so many levels.
Firstly it is bigger than most tea chests of this period having four tin canisters inside, all original to the chest. It’s very unusual to find the canisters still inside, having all four is a remarkable feature.
The chest has a secret drawer to one side, again not a common feature, which required absolute precision to line it up perfectly when making the chest.
The lid has brass decorated corners, a lovely brass swan neck handle and note the addition of the brass circular stops so that the handle when dropped after use it hit the brass stops and not the wood. On the brass stops are the initials S E.
Inside the secret drawer there is a Stevenson family will, there are also some letters from various members of the family and the item I really love is a little diary with the sailors name Alfred J W Stevenson, Ship Encounter. Inside this little book are a series of watercolours of his journey.
These include other ships, people, churches. m
A picture entitled the ‘Fortunes of War’ of a sailor with part of his leg amputated. See images below. I have included several other images from his diary too.
There is also a watercolour of the HMS Encounterr, bottom left image, from around 1863 . The ship was involved in operations against Taiping rebel forces attacking treaty ports in China. Also the vessel was involved in operations near Ningpo and Fungwha.
The tea chest could tell many stories. It measures 28cm w x 17cm h x 18cm d. C1770.