The rise in apartment living in the 1920s created a need for smaller decorative objects such as this tea service, which could be easily cleaned and stored. Jean G. Theobald was hired by the Wilcox Silver Plate Company (a subsidiary of the International Silver Company) to produce a series of tea sets. Theobald’s imaginative, compact design is based on geometric shapes and combines the traditional elements of a tea service with the clean, simple lines and smooth surfaces of the Art Deco style.