Cobalt blue tableware was a hallmark of the Bronnitsky Porcelain Factory and, in general, of Veliky Novgorod. The design of the “Net” coffee set from the museum collection was developed by the artist Tamara Gavrilova. The coffee set consisted of a coffee pot, a milk jug, a sugar bowl, six cups with saucers, and six dessert plates, which was a standard.

To decorate the tableware, Tamara Gavrilova chose a pattern in the form of golden diamonds, in the corners of which there are small white four-petaled flowers. The artist put the same ornament on the lid of the coffee pot, next to the relief top. She painted these pieces by hand.

The “Cobalt net” pattern was used by many porcelain factories of the country. The most famous ones were the items of the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory in Saint Petersburg, but the sets were white, and the cobalt blue paint was used only for the pattern, since it was time-consuming to work with this material. The cobalt coating technique, in which an item was completely covered with a dark blue pigment, was characteristic of the Bronnitsky Porcelain Factory.

There were several types of coffee sets, varying in shape and material. Different factories produced faience and porcelain oriental coffee sets with cups of 60 ml and with glasses instead of mugs. The Bronnitsky Porcelain Factory produced only porcelain items. Although the material was expensive, it was distinguished by lightness, durability, and high heat capacity.

At the factory, the porcelain tableware was fired several times, which made it more resistant to high temperatures. Coffee sets were lavishly painted, decorated with molding, openwork, and decorative details. There were two popular painting techniques: underglaze, which was applied before glazing, and overglaze, like the one used for the “Net” coffee set. The surface of the items, which were painted on top of the glaze layer, was less durable, but they had a richer color palette. They were fired at a lower temperature and the paints better retained their color.