CHINESE EXPORT SILVER TEA SET

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