While in New York, Nick and I stopped by a massive antique mall housed in a picturesque old factory building in the town of Oneonta. While there, we found three old lusterware tea cups, two of which had no handles!
Although handles on teacups were invented in the early 1700s, it didn't become common until about 1810, so these tea cups dated from that Regency era - late 1700s/ early 1800s. I found one with a handle, too, which probably dates from the 1820s.
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| Two of the cups I found in Oneonta. Behind them is my circa 1820s tea caddy. |
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| All three of the tea cups I found. |
After this exciting discovery, I was on the lookout for more. We found another cup, also circa 1820, in a small antique store near Nick's parents house. My mother and my friend Sarah also gave me antique tea cups for my birthday.
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| Most of my antique tea cup collection on display |
In the 1920s or '30s, reproduction lusterware was made, but these have a modern mark on the base of the cups and saucers. The old cups just have small, minimal hand-painted marks:
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| An example of the small marks on the base of the old tea cups. Some of them have no marks at all. |
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| The tea cup & saucer from my friend Sarah, with some tea brewing in my brown teapot I bought in Scotland. |
I've always loved tea cups, tea parties and the like. It's been really exciting to learn more about antique tea cups and to start collecting them. I'm also really drawn to the Georgian & Regency eras and I have several other objects from those eras (books, a dress, etc.). I love to learn more and add to my appreciation of an era.
