Object Type
These objects are all part of a picnic tea service, each element of which fits into a prescribed position within a leather-covered travelling case. The contents include a pair of cups and saucers, a cylindrical flask, a jug (of plain ovoid form with a gilt interior), spoons, a sugar bowl (with plain curved walls and a gilt interior) and tongs, a teapot and a tea kettle with a folding stand and paraffin burner.

Design & Designing
This design by Christopher Dresser was made by Hukin & Heath of Birmingham for the London retailers Leuchars & Son. The design was registered with the Patent Office (Rd. No.18367), which dates it to late 1884. The cups and saucers, made by the Worcester porcelain factory, are decorated in the Willow Pattern, inspired by oriental ceramics. An oriental - in this case, Japanese - influence is also noticeable in the design of the tea kettle, in particular in the wicker handle. It is positioned above the pot, rather than at the side, and can fold down for ease of packing, both aspects characteristic of a traditional Japanese teapot.

Trading
The spoon, one of a pair, and the sugar tongs are stamped with the letters 'L&S' for Leuchars & Son.The firm was started in 1798 by James Leuchars, who registered as a perfumer and hairdresser. By 1841 the business was principally described as dressing-case makers, in which capacity it remained famous throughout the 19th century. Leuchars & Son were successful exhibitors at the Great Exhibition of 1851, the London International Exhibition of 1862 and the Paris Exhibition of 1878. In the early 1870s a branch was opened in Paris. In 1888 the firm was acquired by Asprey & Son of New Bond Street, although it continued trading under its own name until it was fully absorbed by the parent company in 1902.