Art & Architecture

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Silver Tea Service

This three-piece, silver tea set is an example of official Senate tableware used in the 20^th century by various Speakers of the Senate, who often host dignitaries and special guests to Parliament as part of the position’s diplomatic role.

The Art Deco design of the teapot, sugar bowl and cream pitcher features concave sides and a pedestal base, and likely dates to the 1930s. The teapot’s handle and decorative knop are made of an early plastic designed to imitate ebony.

Each piece is inscribed with “The Senate” on one side. It’s not known which company made the set, nor who did the engraving. However, the set shares similarities with Mappin & Webb tea sets from Sheffield, England, that were produced in the same period.

Once retired from use, the tea set was incorporated into the Senate Artwork and Heritage Collection, which has more than 40 sets of formal Speaker’s tableware.

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