First of all, French are not into tea, so tea caddies are rather rare to begin with, mostly made by commission or for export to England or other tea-friendly regions. So even to begin, what you see is a rare collection piece. That it is elegantly set with brass cutaway ornament and both steel cabochons and larger blue opaline cabochons is just thrilling against this burled wood. Not a single loss nor chip, either. Note that the interior is also close to pristine, has nearly all of the original foil lining and both original well covers - it's clearly a tea caddy which was treasured and not put to use. I found this French caddy in England, obviously a souvenir of someone's Grand Tour, as it dates mid-1800s. Full measurements noted on photos.
Very good to excellent, as note6d above, I really see nothing to point to as a flaw. Amazing that all of the large blue opaline cabochon 'gems' are without any loss or damage at all. Perhaps even more amazing, hardly a sign of use anywhere, evidenced by the fact that the interior retains its foil, nearly 100%. An elegant table box for display!
