Georg Jensen's very first tea and coffee set takes a number of figures from nature and combines them into a new organic form. Low and stout, with toad's feet and a magnolia blossom on top this merging of elements was typical of Georg Jensen's work with flora and fauna. He removed the elements he found fascinating from their natural context and incorporated them in his designs, making them come alive in an imaginative and whimsical way.The flower bud was inspired by Japanese art, which uses the magnolia bud as a symbol of the month of May. The toad is also known in Japan and is a symbol of luck.This set is one of the most typical Art Nouveau of all Georg Jensen's works because its basic shape is designed as something from nature, not just decorated with natural elements as an afterthought.As typical for Georg Jensen's pieces the decoration was applied to the top and the bottom of the pieces. The surface of the coffee and tea service is covered with delicate hammer marks – a distinct Georg Jensen style - which softens the reflected light to create the greyish shimmer he associated with moonlight.Originally the service was made with ivory handles, but since the embargo on trade with ivory, to save the elephants, the service has been made with ebony only.Ebony wood is a very hard type of wood. The wooden carver makes each handle especially for the individual pot and creamer. The socket – the small piece where the handle is attached - is handmade and thus may vary slightly from pot to pot - it may be only a 1/10 of a millimetre – but still each handle must be fitted specifically for the individual pot.The silversmith applies the hammer marks to the body of the pieces and solders on the feet as well as the socket to hold the handle and the spout. The spout of the coffee and teapot is made from a flat piece of silver which is bendt around, soldered and then shaped. Before soldering on the spout, holes for the liquid to run through are drilled in the body, and the silversmith will measure and mark precisely where the spout and handle are to be placed – the slightest inaccuracy will make the pot pour askew.
