With its smooth walls of silver-plated nickel and geometric, skyscraper-inspired lids, this service is a spectacular expression of the progressive impulse in modern American design in the late 1920s. It is one of three services Jean G. Theobald designed for an urban market, specifically targeting women with sophisticated, modern tastes. The teapot, sugar bowl, and creamer all fit within a compact, form-fitting tray that was advertised as especially suitable for fashionable entertaining in small apartments.