This bowl of fluted design is decorated in a style known as the ‘Queen’s pattern’. The origin for this name is unknown, but the design has panels of flowers painted in the Japanese style, alternating with narrower blue bands embellished with gold and a chrysanthemum medallion.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.
