Tea chest

The conventional tea chest is a case with riveted metal edges, of approximate size 500 by 500 by 750 millimetres (20 by 20 by 30 in).

Modern tea chests (2023) are made of plywood with metal corners and lined with aluminium foil and parchment paper to provide aroma-proof packaging.

[1] The term is now used widely to indicate similarly sized cases, including corrugated boxes, produced for various home and commercial uses.

Internally, tea chests were often lined with metal foil, and strengthened with inch-by-inch boards at the edges.

They would often be subsequently used for domestic goods storage and house contents moving as they were low cost, light weight, robust and clean.