Black and Red Hand-painted Japanese Tea Caddy honey colored underneath on the base are

underneath on the base are Chinese characters

It would be especially dramatic filled with large white lilies or a few tall flowering branches

The dowel at the top measures 24" x 1

it  would make a terrific paperweight on a stylish desk or a subtle yet striking addition to a grouping of any manner of interesting objects

Black and Red Hand-painted Japanese Tea Caddy honey colored underneath on the base areTo my taste, this vintage Japanese tea caddy is just about aesthetically perfect. Tin, it was hand painted with a tea pot and pillow in red and other tea ceremony accoutrements in copper and silver nothing extraneous, just great proportions, simple gestures; elegant and lovely. I am guessing 1930s or early 40s, though have not found another like it. There is text in Japanese on the the back, along the seam, and it may once have had an interior lid. 3.