A silver trompe-l’œil tea set comprising teapot, hot water pot, creamer, covered sugar-bowl, tongs, cake basket, and tea strainer, all contained in the original fitted case, each piece engraved with intertwined Latin initials K.S. Further, the set was augmented with twelve tea spoons and a hot water kettle resting on a stand with a burner, all of the identical design.
The use of trompe-l’œil surfaces in ceramics and silverware was common in the late nineteenth century, as silversmiths adopted the Russian style, returning to traditional motifs of peasant craftsmanship. There are many similar tea and coffee services from the same period in museum collections in Russian and abroad, including examples in the British Royal collection and the Hillwood Museum.
Russian silver-gilt tea set, 1880, British Royal collection
