This Indian-style tea set comprises a teapot, sugar bowl, milk jug and sugar tongs and was manufactured by the Victorian firm Hunt and Roskell. The set is decorated with an elaborately chased pattern of interweaving paisley and foliage. This pattern is based on Mughal-style depictions of flowering plants, that evolved into the more abstract teardrop shape recognised today as ‘paisley’ or ‘buta’. The fashion for exotic Indian shawls decorated with paisley designs, as well as the rich displays of Indian art and design at the Great Exhibition of 1851, greatly influenced British manufacturers in the second half of the 19th century. The Great Exhibition of 1851 was the first exhibition of manufactured goods from across the world. The renowned silversmithing and jewellery firm of Hunt & Roskell was located on Bond Street, which for many years held the Royal Warrant of Queen Victoria.
