A silver tea set is a matching group of silver vessels used for making and serving tea. A typical set comprises a teapot, milk or cream jug and sugar bowl, and may also include a hot water jug, coffee pot, slop bowl, tea kettle on a stand and a large tray, all made en suite with the same pattern and marks.
Tea became fashionable in Britain in the late seventeenth century, but early teapots, jugs and sugar basins were usually made separately. Fully matching services became common from around the end of the eighteenth century and were produced in great numbers through the Regency and Victorian periods, in styles ranging from plain Neoclassical oval forms to embossed Rococo revival and fluted Edwardian designs. Leading London, Sheffield and Birmingham silversmiths supplied them, and electroplated versions were made for wider markets. Collectors check that all pieces carry matching hallmarks and maker's marks, since some sets have been assembled from different sources, and look for crisp decoration, good weight and an absence of dents, splits, worn marks or repaired handles and spouts. An original set with its contemporary engraving or crest makes an impressive centrepiece for the tea table or sideboard.
