Thorley was especially intrigued by the culture and art of ancient Egypt. When he learned in 1923 that the artifacts from the tomb of King Tutankhamun were to be displayed at the British Museum, he decided to create a series of wares featuring Egyptian motifs. Inspired by this newspaper clipping of ladies’ hats in the Egyptian style, he used a scarab motif as the basis for the tea and coffee service seen here. A “big seller,” as Thorley remembered, this set was prominently displayed in the Oxford Street window of London’s W. Savill & Company Porcelain House.
