A three piece silver tea service hallmarked 1803 with a maker's mark for Robert and Samuel Hennell. The teapot is inscribed: 'Presented to Sir Home Popham K.M. by the Honble, the Court of Directors of the East India Company 1803'. The arms of Sir Home Popham are engraved on the other side with the neck badge of the Order of Malta (Popham was made a knight of the order by Tsar Paul in 1799). The motto: 'ME JUVAT IRE PER ALTUM' (I delight to cross the depths) surrounds the shield. The teapot has a gadrooned rim. The interior is gilt and the hinged lid has a knop in the form of the Popham crest - a stags head. It has a handle of a fine-grained wood to provide insulation for the pourer's hand.