Throughout the eighteenth century very strong tea was made in pots like this one. The tea was then diluted to taste with hot water from the kettle. A little milk from the milk jug was added to neutralize the tannin in the tea. This set was made in Middelburg, but adheres strictly to the Hague model with plain sides with grooves on the corners. The teapot stands on a rectangular reeded foot. The milk jug has four feet in the shape of hooves. The lids follow the prevailing Louis XV style, built up of rocailles with a high scroll. The handles are ebony.

Both pieces are hallmarked on the underside with the Middelburg assay mark, the maker’s mark P PRIE for Phillipus Prié and the date letters Z for 1763 (teapot) and A for 1764 (milk jug).