This metal tea canister, or tea caddy, still holds some tea inside. The tea caddy is decorated with an image of a boat on a river with trees on one side and Mt. Fuji in the background. The decoration is mainly in gold and silver but features some other colors. There is a large, thumbprint-shaped dent on the left side of image. The top is removable.
The Japanese word for tea is o-cha. Tea is served in cups without handles and without milk, sugar or lemon. A very small teapot is used for expensive tea. At festival times, tea is flavored with salted plums and dried seaweed. There are articles used for ceremonial tea that are never used for any other purpose.
