"A penwork tea chest, true to the spirit of the Regency. Its shape is of pure Egyptian inspiration. The top is decorated in designs of neoclassical derivation. The center features a pattera pattern slightly suggestive of a flower. The lower surround and the wide triangular panels feature acanthus leaves. The narrower sides have leaves enclosing either a stylized pinecone (ancient symbol of fertility) or a pineapple (a fruit of the East). The main body of work is in chinoiserie. The figures and landscapes have a light element, which was introduced in the second part of the 18th century, but which did not find true expression in England until the advent of penwork. Much of the design is inspired by Mathias Darly's and George Edwards' A New Book of Chinese Designs. For example, the book gives illustrations of ""Indian"" islands, bits of land somehow floating in the universe. Such islands were earthly manifestations of the ""Islands of the Blessed""."
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