The pattern of this tea bowl highlights the creativity of Worcester artisans. Floral sprays and butterflies painted in the Japanese style are placed within the cartouches, on a blue scale ground. Painting scale-like motifs over the flat blue ground makes the dark ground appear less dense and heavy. A full tea service by the late 1760s would have comprised at least 40 pieces. Apart from multiple tea and coffee cups with matching saucers, other standard items included a teapot, sugar bowl, milk jug as well as a slop bowl (into which the dregs from tea and coffee cups were emptied). Tea in 18th century England was drunk from both tea bowls and tea cups. Tea bowls (a form derived from Chinese prototypes) were generally found in sets decorated with Asian-inspired patterns, while tea cups with handles (a European form) tended to have European style decoration.
