This tea service comprises a teapot, milk jug, and sugar bowl. Elegantly decorated with applied flowering prunus branches, each vessel features a horizontal panel worked to resemble an exposed section of bark. Ivory heat stops on the handle of the teapot - also in the shape of a branch – keep it insulated and cool to the touch when in use.The set was produced in China for export to the West in the late 19th century, a time when trade with Europe had opened up considerably, as foreign merchants arrived in China in increasing numbers to trade for porcelain, tea, and silk. A mark on the base, “WH”, shows that it was made by Wang Hing, a jewellery firm with workshops in both Hong Kong and Canton. The firm was prolific, but they produced work of such high quality that Tiffany & Co in New York commissioned silver from Wang Hing for a period of about 20 years.
