Fascinated by the objects associated with various tea traditions, Chen and Williams sought to explore the idea of purpose within the differing elements of a tea set. Each object involved in a tea ceremony has such a specific function, yet their use often feels completely arbitrary. The Gongfu tea ceremony, an 18th century tradition of southern China, translates literally to "making tea with effort" and has 16 objects associated in its tea service. They crafted this set not for any particular culture, but to honor and invoke the purposeful nature of each element of the tea drinking tradition. The set was made to complement their garden tray in hopes that the tea consumers will, mentally, enjoy drinking their tea in the tray garden.