Pieces of a tea service in the Victoria pattern
Around 1850
Pot: h.11.5 cm
Cup: w. 13.0 cm
Dessert plate: d. 21.0 cm
Herend Porcelain Museum
Among the works on display in the 1851 Great Exhibition in London were those with a flower-and-butterfly motif, which was inspired by the fencai (a type of overglaze polychrome decoration) porcelain of Qing-dynasty China and arranged into a European fashion. Queen Victoria, fascinated by the innovative and charming design as well as the vivid colors, ordered a dinner set for the Windsor Castle. This dinner set won first prize in the World’s Fair, which led to the establishment of its international reputation. This flower-and-butterfly motif, named “Victoria pattern” after the queen, continues to be one of the leading motifs of Herend even today. The handle of the pot of this tea set has been repaired with wood, which is finely made and carefully applied, suggesting that this set had been handled with great care for a long period of time.