The uniquely designed pod-like shapes of this tea service allow the objects to rest on more than one side. It is a supreme example of Mexican silversmith Antonio Pineda's innovative design skill and exceptional execution in silver. A tea service of this design was shown at the Milan Triennale Exhibition of 1960. Well known for his jewelry designs, Pineda was apprenticed at a young age to Tamichi Kitagawa, a Japanese silversmith working in Taxco, Mexico. Subsequent tutelage under silversmiths Valentin Vidaurreta and William Spratling led Pineda to open his own workshop in 1941.