This object is one of several in the V&A that are decorated with a design known as 'The Tea Party'. This was one of the most popular designs applied to English ceramics in the 18th century, and several versions are known. It shows a couple seated in a garden, being served tea. The custom of taking tea outside in Europe was first made popular in the Netherlands in the late 17th century. The couple are often accompanied by a black servant, usually a young man or, as here, a boy. This was a touch of realism, for many middle- and upper-class households in Britain employed black as well as white servants as British involvement in the slave trade grew. In 18th-century art and design, black figures were also used as emblems of luxury, and tea wares were often decorated with designs that reflected the exotic associations of the new beverage. Images that included black boy servants were particularly popular.