These are the wonderful teacups I have fallen in love with. The colours are brighter than the photo shows and all in all, just make me smile.
It seems to be a discontinued line and no-one can confirm they are dishwasher safe. So just the two teacups and saucers for now. There is a large plate (for cakes?!) and some side plates but I'll wait to see about dishwasher safeness.
Tea tastes different in a bone china cup upon a saucer. Not even a bone china mug can match. I wonder if it is the curve of the saucer as one holds it, or the straight open bowl that one sips from. Perhaps it is the apparent fragility of the china itself. The tea certainly seems hotter.
A few years back, during a visit to a bone china manufacturer, I discovered that it is called bone china because the material actually contains ground up bone! Perhaps it is obvious to others that might be the case but it wasn't to me and such a surprise. I wonder how vegetarians feel about it?
As for the volume compared to a mug, the resident nerd (moi) measured up contents into a regular mug and found the tea cup was nearly two thirds of a mug. So, by the time I have gone back for seconds (because one just has to have seconds when drinking from a cup and saucer) means that the volume at one sitting is more than a mug. Puts hairs on yer chest it does!
14 comments:
Doris
Now I have seen them I am jealous, and who cares if they are dish washer safe or not, get your hands wet girl!
Susie
Your savoured words reminded me of a poem I read on the underground today. It intrigued me...
Give me a bowl, wide
and shallow. Patient
to light as a landscape open
to the whole weight
of a deepening sky.
Give me a bowl which turns
for ever on a curve
so gentle a child
could bear it and beasts
lap fearless at its low rim.
http://www.le.ac.uk/engassoc/poetry/reviews.html
The gorgeous sounds undercut an elemental and latent energy within a movement that is continual and deepening despite the ‘shallow’. It is a poem as a blessing or prayer that is intended to be spoken aloud.
The Bowl by Elizabeth Cook
I have a cupcake teapot :). Lovely cups Doris, really lovely.
Susie
I'd probably need those fancy rubber gloves mock fur cuffs to wash these beauties! But actually, first dishwash and they are OK :-)
Astryngia
Thank you for that link - I read what the reviewer had to say about Elizabeth Cook's poetry. On the one hand I think what verbiage but on the other I am inspired to write more! I am attracted to the idea of a poem as a blessing or prayer to be read aloud.
The only thing, I don't understand the meaning of these words: "Patient to light" from Elizabeth's poem. Otherwise it is beautiful and resonates with me. I love the idea of an object that can be pictured with a child or just as easily with a fearless beast.
Thursday
You mean from the same pattern?! Does it pour well? That was one of the questions to myself as I held it in my hands yesterday .... if this didn't pour well (as often fancy china tea pots do not) then I wouldn't be happy with it.
Hey we could meet up for a tea party - you bring the pot and I bring the cups and saucers!
Sadly not the same pattern - the whole pot is in the shape of a cupcake. I'm afraid it's in storage and never been used (a birthday present just as I was leaving my ex-partner and I've moved again since) so no idea how it pours. I shall be reclaiming it shortly so I'll let you know as an unpourable teapot is Just No Good (although it'll look pretty).
they are lovely - now you need the cup cakes to go with them. The reason why we drink milk in our tea and pour it in first was so that the hot tea didn't crack the delicate china cups
Those are really cute!
Me, I have my own favourite mug here in work, white with a blue Chinese dragon on it, and I've had it for 14 years now, same mug. It even made it across the Atlantic in my suitcase when I emmigrated. It's badly stained by my 4 cups a day tea habit (now decaf), but I love it. Tea always tastes better from my favourite mug for some reason. I think because my dear friends and old housemates Martin and Maria gave it to me, after Martin accidentally broke my old favourite mug with Pooh Bear on it, when washing the dishes.
OK, I'm nuts. But, it's also a very nice aesthetically pleasing solid mug, that holds a lot of tea, and keeps it nice and hot.
Thursday
Ah the joys of reclaiming property that has been in storage. I hope it functions as well as it looks!
Anji
:-) That is one factoid I was aware of and it makes perfect sense. I also find, it means you don't have to stir the milk as it has been thoroughly mixed up by the hot tea!
Chandira
Your crop of comments this morning has made me smile with chords struck. 14 years is a long time to hold onto a favourite mug. I think I only managed about 6 years - it was a gorgeous big "New Mummy" mug given to me at the birth of my first child. Just the right grip, texture, volume and visual eye candy. But alas, one of the children finally exterminated it. And then we met Mr Doris and he had the crustiest favourite mug he'd had for about 8 years - you know that stain does come out (maybe it is my fault I shouldn't have cleaned it) but that too got exterminated by one of my kids. Ahh, treasured memories of favourite mugs!
OOeer Mrs, aren't you the posh one - tea from bone china cups lol! They are lovely though Doris, I've never owned bone china and probably never will - I'm just too undelicate and uncouth to handle something so delicate. Plus to be fair when I was growing up in Ireland there was tea in bucketfuls but always from a mug . Only china we ever saw was in posh people's houses or the wedding gift sets that people kept in their china cabinets in the "good room" - ah memories!
Its fun to have cups and mugs that make one smile. I have a random selection for morning teas and coffees but definitely reach for certain ones in preference to others.
And why does tea always taste better out of cups with white interiors?
Curly K
Actually.... I think bone china can be tougher than it appears. And in any case, one IS transformed when holding such delicacies. Funny you mention china cabinets in the "good room" .... it just doesn't happen now. And isn't it amazing that with all the people we used to fit into each house that there would be a room that could be kept just for "good" or significant events.
Rashbre
So good that you can appreciate your vessels!
I hadn't thought that about the white interiors .... you might have a point but I think I need to watch my regular habits for a while. Hmmm.
:-)
Yes, a good dose of bleach, but I kind of like the stain, too. I bleach it once in a while.
That's one reason I never had kids, I love my mug too much. ;-)
Hi Doris, long time no visit - sorry.
Ah...tea from a China cup..mmm. I reckon it's like the feel of silver or gold...it's in the material - all to do with how many electrons are in the outer shell (isn't it?)
Anyhow...cuppa calls...
LOL Neutron! It all comes down to electricity :-D
Chandira Ah but.... there are some up-sides to having kids... it keeps the mug population at an acceptable level :-)
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