Tea caddy, Eusebius Willem Voet, c. 1700
Even though more and more people began drinking tea at the end of the century, it was still considered a luxury. Hence, the exotic and costly tortoiseshell – against which the silver stands out handsomely – used for this caddy was a fitting choice. The silver inlay decoration is freely conceived and refers only distantly to Asia. Eusebius Voet, or his brother Hendrik, was probably responsible for this design.