Circa 1870
Height: 6 ins / 15.24 cm
Width: 10.5 ins / 26.67 cm
Depth: 6 ins / 15.24 cm
Stock Number: 195443/216
Price: £825
An Austro Hungarian Imperial military tea caddy, ebonised and set with brass framed panels of varied marbles, mounted with military trophies, the base set with a brass medallion, stamped: K.K. PRIV. FRID. STROBE. WIEN. The inner lids are later replacements, and the copper mounts were possibly silvered originally.
Kaiserlich-Koniglich, (Imperial Royal) was the abbreviation applied to institutions of the twin monarchies of Austria-Hungary, and K.K. was used by the common army until 1889. It may be deduced that this tea chest pertained to an army mess or headquarters on the Friedrichstrasse in Vienna.
ANTIQUE SERPENTINE TORTOISESHELL TEA CADDY