Somewhere in our collective psyche there seems to be an attraction for containers--whether we are curious about the contents like poor Pandora or simply like the look of them as accessories--filled or not. So the somewhat archaic tea caddy still has its place, even today when tea comes in bags and tea drinkers seek a more airtight container for loose leaves.

Wedgwood's version fulfills its decorative purpose well. The geometry of the container possesses its own functional elegance. The domed lid and ball finial is the sort of extra that moves beyond function to delight. Of course, the form also provides excellent opportunities for applied sprig decoration: from petals on the top, to an elegant scrolled border on the collar and three classical medallions on the sides below--all against the deep black jasper dip ground.

The sprigged medallions featured are "A Sacrifice" with its gracefully elongated figures; "Nike and Warrior," an encounter with the goddess at yet another altar, and the beautiful Psyche, bound and tormented by the winged minions of the envious Aphrodite. All are long standing features in the repertory of Wedgwood sprigs, yet the original modeler of none of them is recorded.