A Chinese Export silver tea set for all seasons!
The six repousse worked panels around bodies of the pieces have all the auspicious plant motifs- bamboo for resilience , peonies for health and fruitfulness , pine for longevity, cranes that mate for life, plum blossom for new beginnings, chrysanthemums that bloom through the frost
All four seasons are represented
The lid is engraved with more plum blossom and the handlles and spout are of gnarled plum blossom branches -not the more usual bamboo motif
The set even has the original matching tongs
The combination of the motifs especially the ue of the plum blossom motif indicates that this was probably a wedding or an anniversary gift
The Draycott Room, Tanglin Club , Singapore December 5-7 2024
Every year as the Lunar New Year approaches I try