This tiny gold tea service has deliberately plain enamelling to make it look as though it is made of porcelain. It includes a teapot, hot water pot, sugar bowl and milk jug, each topped by a ruby. It is the work of the Russian goldsmith and jewellery firm Fabergé, which was internationally renowned for its miniature productions, including tiny desk equipment, flowers and hardstone animals. The tea service may have been an imperial commission, given the quality of the gemstones and the use of mauve, the favourite colour of the Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna.