I have a new obsession to report and it is china. I stumbled on this obsession by chance when planning a birthday party for my sister, who adores Jane Austen. I thought, why not a tea party theme, with authentic British china?
And down the china rabbit hole I plunged!
I initially thought, quite erroneously, that it would be easy to find lovely teacups in my local Goodwills and thrift shops. Perhaps it once was, but I'm afraid the vintage teacup craze has resulted in there not being much out there to find. And when you do find it, you must buy it immediately, as there's no chance it will be there when you return.
I tried to find lovely pieces that were well-crafted, and that had some historical significance. These pieces were all created in a Blue Onion type design, which originated in the 1740's. There are actually 3 different china patterns up above, you might pick them out stylistically, but I think they blend nicely with each other.
The lovely teapot is a Winterling design that I think was made to look like Meissen and/or Czech Zweibelmuster designs. I can't pinpoint the date exactly from the mark, but it could be anywhere from the 1930's-60's. I love the blue rose finial on the lid.
The teacup is Blue Danube, made in Japan, while the saucer and plate are Noritake Fair Wind - I scored a set of 4 saucers and 4 plates at Goodwill, for $6:
Although it's a thrill to find lovely old things at cheap prices, I really enjoy just looking at all of the items, turning them over in my hands and learning to tell quality items from cheaply made, mass-produced ones.
For example, while I think this tiny (2 cup) Blue Willow Sadler teapot is gorgeous and glossy in person, I notice its little defects. There are little gold smears on the inside of the lid, and a raised dot or two.
In its defense, it is lovely in person - the glaze plays tricks on your camera and makes outlines look rough, when in person they're quite crisp and nice.
There was a small chip on the underside of the spout which the Ebay seller didn't mention, so I unfortunately won't be using it. But I think it was a steal for the price and it is lovely to have around.
Adorable, isn't it? Do any of you have a china collection? I'd love to hear about it! :)
