This tureen and the accompanying ladle, starkly modern and devoid of ornamentation, were produced in two sizes in both silver and electroplated silver; the set became one of Christopher Dresser’s most well-known designs. Dresser was heavily influenced by Japanese metalwork, which he began importing into London in 1879 following an extended visit to Japan. Both the look of the silver brackets that grip the tureen’s handles and the angled stem of the ladle are indebted to Japanese designs.