Featured Help ID Oriental Black Box

Hello folks-
Can anyone identify the type of ware pictured here? We had difficulty deciding what the substance is of this black Oriental tea caddy? with the 8 carved panels. We feel fairly sure that it is clay. Height is about 4-1/2". It is surprisingly heavy. Marks appear both under the lid, which has a brass pull ring, and on the underside. Forgive me if the marks aren't correctly orientated. Seven of the panels have simple landscapes, one depicts a tiger. My questions involve the age, country of origin, clay type (does ware made of this clay have a name?), and marks translation. If you can help me solve any of these mysteries I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

 

I think you've gotten the orientation of both marks correctly...the second one seems to confirm your assessment of the material as clay...beyond that, I'll be no help but enjoyed seeing it...Thanks!

 

Does look like a tea caddy! I like it a lot, but not sure it's all that old. I wonder if that mark is on gotheborg.com somewhere.

 

That screw head is quite modern.

 

Thanks for the replies. I can see that the screw head is modern. Maybe someone will know some more about this object.

 

Very pretty. It reminds me of tea bricks, tiles made of compressed tea. They are a solid material.
I wonder if someone thought of compressing tea into a caddy.

This is what a tea brick looks like:

https://www.lelandlittle.com/items/220793/chinese-framed-hubei-black-tea-brick/

https://www.teacakesyork.co.uk/prod...arge-1100g-best-quality-teacakes-of-yorkshire

 

That's fascinating. They're quite textured while this caddy is smooth though. And mine is heavy-well heavier than it looks to be.

 

My parent used to have a tea brick. It was heavy like a concrete slab, also much heavier than it looked.

 

Hi @Lew Fisher,

I can't help with the marks in your first photo, however the second photo (below) has a Ming Xuande mark, though as others have stated it appears to be a more modern piece and not of that period.

Rough translation: (大明宣德年造 / Made in Xuande, Ming Dynasty)