Get An Appraiser Involved
Seek the assistance of a specialist or an antique inspector to help you properly identify the markings on your teacups if you find it hard to verify the authenticity of the markings.Appraisers have experience, and their wealth of knowledge on everything antique will help them in deducing the artist, country of origin, and pattern history.Heres a video showing a professional appraiser on duty.
The History Of Antique Teacup
Teacups have been an integral part of Chinese society since 220 AD. However, they were slow to gain popularity in Europe, at least not until the early 17th century. Before then, people took tea from small bowls.
The Chinese had no issues with sipping their tea from bowls. Still, when tea got into Europe, the pewters, silver nobles, and kings had trouble drinking tea from said bowls because the hotness of the tea burned their hands.
For this reason, porcelain cups had to come to the rescue.
Check out this video for an interesting story about tea and teacups.
Add A Touch Of Elegance To Your Home
Collecting antique Japanese teacups and other porcelain items allows you to enjoy some of the finest Eastern craftsmanship from the comforts of your very own home. Since there’s a lot of vintage Japanese porcelain on the market, you’re sure to find the exact piece to best fit with your domestic aesthetic and your tea-drinking habits.
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How Many Green Tea Cups Per Day
As with anything, especially drinks that contain caffeine, moderation is key. It is recommended that if you are going to drink tea every day, approximately 2 to 5 cups of green tea per day is the golden standard. It should be noted that that this going to vary from person to person. Everyone has their own unique diets and lifestyles, and this should be taken into consideration when consuming green tea.
Determine The Items Weight
We advise you to hold the antique teacup in your hands, examine the weight, and grasp its authenticity. Old teacups are usually lightweight and fragile some even have hairline cracks.
If the teacup is too heavy, too new, and has little to no sign of age or wear, youre most likely holding a reproduced model. Pieces like this will hardly fetch you a reasonable price.
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How To Find And Identify An Antique Teacup
Garage sales, thrifting, the bins, estate sales, or grandmas hand-me-downs? How do you find antique teacups and how do you know you have one? These are some of the questions I am going to answer for you. Finding vintage teacups and saucers is not as hard as you think. You can also find tons of cheap teacups that are a beautiful addition to your tea collection.
Teacups have been used since 220 AD in China but became popular in Europe around the 1600s. These were not the teacups we see today, the teacups in 1600 were bowls and tea was sipped from the bowl. Porcelain was soon developed and handles were then added to the bowls.
Vintage Teacup Manufacturers And Popular Patterns
Certain manufacturers are famous for their antique china, and many patterns are especially collectible. If you’re curious about who made a teacup, turn it over. On the bottom, you’ll see stamps or markings that can help you identify the manufacturer, the pattern, and sometimes the date it was produced. Teacup markings can vary, but they often offer some clues. There are hundreds of different names in vintage and antique teacups, but these are some of the most famous manufacturers and their most popular patterns.
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How To Get The Value Of Old Tea Cups And Saucers
Whether you have inherited you grandmother’s china or picked up a tea set at a garage sale, you may be wondering what your set of tea cups and saucers is worth. Antique or old china may be very valuable or worth very little, depending on the manufacturer, condition, rarity and current demand. The value of your cups and saucers is whatever a buyer is willing to pay for them you can have them appraised or research what comparable china sells for to determine their value.
Evaluate the condition of your cups and saucers. Examine them for any chips or cracks, or fading of the pattern. Determine whether they’re in like-new, very good, good or poor condition.
Count the number of cups and saucers you have. A complete set of four, six or eight may be more valuable than an odd number or a mismatched number of teacups to saucers.
Determine the manufacturer. The manufacturer’s name is frequently stamped underneath the bottom of the saucer. If there is no manufacturer’s name, you may have to bring it to an appraiser or send her a picture for identification.
Identify the pattern’s name. Once you have determined the manufacturer’s name, you should be able to find the pattern on the manufacturer’s website, checking under discontinued patterns, if necessary. You can also try a site, such as Replacements, Ltd., that sells new and discontinued patterns from various manufacturers.
Identify The Makers Mark
You would be stunned at the kind of power a name can have on buyers and collectors. Over the years, quality and accountability have been attached to specific brand names.
This is also one of the reasons why you must conduct extensive research on the maker of your piece before going in for the big sale to have a glimpse of how much itll cost or if its a good decision to sell-off.Heres a list of popular makers of antique teacups
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Important Things To Look For When Vintage Teacup Shopping
Similar to tea leaves, every vintage teacup tells a story. Ive been collecting teacups for a few years now, but have recently been getting into it a lot more. I love going through my tea treasures Ive collected and wondering about those who previously loved them, too. Perhaps they had a favourite steep that always filled the teacup. Maybe they took a daily 2pm tea break with the ware. Or they always enjoyed their cuppa with a loved one by their side. The history from my vintage teacups make me treasure them even more. Over the years I have learned a few things while vintage teacup shopping that may help anyone else that is looking to start their own teacup collection.
Manufacturers Operating In Occupied Japan
Eastern Asia is well-known for its porcelain and fine-china exports, and there were thousands of skilled manufacturers from the region who’ve contributed to the hundreds of years worth of impressive artifacts. Here are just a few of these talented studios who created pieces under occupation in the late 1940s-early 1950s:
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What Are Vintage Teacups And Saucers Made Of
Bone China Bone ask, ground stone, and clay. The finished product is somewhat translucent. Tends to be more of an Ivory color.
Hard Paste Porcelain Kaolin and/or ground alabaster. This was originally produced in China and a common product in Chinese art. Will be more white in color. If you tap hard porcelain with your finger the tone will be of a higher pitch.
Soft Paste Porcelain Local clay to avoid using Chinese Kaolin. This resulted in a softer finish. Shows to be more of white color.
There is an experience of drinking from a true bone china cup. Bone china does not absorb the flavors or aroma of the teas like other compositions do. So drinking from bone china will give you the flavor and aroma of the tea only. Nothing was removed or changed, just pure tea.
How To Find The Best Deal On Antique Tea Cups
Are you into thrifting? I love nothing more than finding an awesome deal on an antique teacup at a local thrift store. Ive even been known to visit the bins in downtown Saint Louis, Mo. in my search for the most unique antique teacups. I love looking for vintage teacups and saucers. Finding them is even better. But how do you find the best deals on teaware?
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Whatever Grabs Your Attention
At the end of the day, if youre searching for teacups for yourself to use or display, you want a style/pattern that you like.
I never really know what I like when I go vintage teacup shopping. I usually just know when I lay my eyes on one and suddenly find myself walking away with it.
Wide mouth teacups, pastel colours and little to no floral used to be my preferences . But there are a few floral pieces in my collection that stand out and I really love them.
Be open minded and check out every single piece that you come across. If there is a teacup you really, really love but you found a small chip or the saucer doesnt match, just get it and use it!
Go ahead and treat yourself to a vintage teacup. Everyone should have something fancy for their tea time!
Beautiful And Cute Teacup Sets And Saucers In Ceramic Porcelain And Fine China
Whether you are entertaining movie stars, key players and titans of industry or you are just inviting your friends out for tea, the English Tea Store has got the tea set to do the job. We take pride in our and can confidently say you will find just the right set for any occasion, whether you want to give them away as gift or simply use them at your own parties. We have got a wide selection of teacup and saucer sets from a ton of different brands from all over the world, available at a lot of different prices, all good.
Our Philomena Porcelain Tea Cup and Saucer comes in a set of 6 and is a classic, cozy design with floral patterns and gold trim. it’s just the teacup set you would expect to see at grandma’s house.
The Amsterdam teacup set series is prominent in solid colors and offers a contemporary look to the tea drinker who appreciates an aesthetically pleasing plain Jane look. This series is an economical choice and a great idea to get if you are throwing a last minute tea party.
Our Stacked Snowman Ceramic Mugs make a great gift around the holidays and have a little more in common with a ceramic coffee cup than a smaller teacup.
The Milicent Porcelain Teacup and Saucer is just plain beautiful. The teacup set comes in a set of 6 and has a cool look with its subtle pinks and expressive blues.
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Most Valuable Antique Teacups
For most people, drinking tea is more than a routine it is a lifestyle, and antique teacups help make tea time always enjoyable. These tiny containers are desirable for many reasons.
The worlds most expensive teacup is a 3-inch cup from the Chenghua Emperor of the Ming Dynasty . This teacup costs $36 million and is considered the holy grail in Chinas art history. Even regular Antique teacups are quite pricey there are those that range between $20-$100 and several others that cost as much as $1000 these cups are rare or in mint condition.
Well be exploring the world of antique teacups, their values, and how to identify their unique patterns, so, free to join us.
Enjoy And Use Your Cups
Collecting antique teacups and other tea things is an enjoyable hobby for many people. It is a pleasure to be able to use these beautiful antiques in everyday life. Drinking tea from a beautiful cup and pouring from a special teapot is a comforting tradition that has lasted for decades. With some gentle care, these treasures can last for several more generations.
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Caring For Your Vintage Teacups
While it is safe to use antique and vintage teacups, remember that your antique china is more delicate than your everyday china. It is completely safe to use on a regular basis, but you will want to be careful about how you handle, clean, and store it.
- Never put it in the dishwasher.
- Always hand wash with a mild soap. Baby shampoo works perfectly.
- Do not soak your antique and vintage teacups or other china. This can cause problems with the glaze or even chip off gold leaf.
- Don’t use acidic materials, such as lemon, on your vintage teacups. If you have used lemon in your tea, be sure to clean it quickly.
- Store your teacup collection behind glass when possible.
- If you must store your teacups away for a time, use a sealable plastic container. Place a folded tea towel in the bottom and then place the cups on it. Lay a piece of cardboard over the rims and add a second row if necessary.
Antique And Vintage Japanese Tea Cup Values
Although it can be tempting to try to evaluate your Japanese antiques on your own using the wonderful world of the internet, you should have an appraiser look over your piece to have it fully authenticated. Similarly, if you’re interested in purchasing a new tea cup or saucer set, you should see if the piece has undergone any authentication process in the past. Given that there has been a significant rise in the sophistication of fake porcelains, you want to make sure that you’re getting what you pay for. In terms of values, thankfully there are quite a lot of affordable imported pieces from the early and mid-20th century which people collecting on a budget can find. For instance, one seller has an occupied Japan teacup and saucer listed for a little over $10 yet, more extensive sets, like this 10 piece teacup set, as well as those made prior to the 20th century can be worth a few hundred dollars.
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A Guide To Vintage Tea Cups
Bone China? What do you mean? Real bones? From who? Humans?! No no no
Throughout the history of tea, the vessel in which the tea sits is almost as important as the tea itself. From cat mom mugs, grandma’s tea cup collection to individually etched works of art there are no wrong answers for teaware. However, something about having high tea in a beautiful gold rimmed cup with a matching saucer while eating sandwiches with the crust cut off screams tea culture.
With its roots beginning in East London- Thomas Frye created Bone China in 1748 with the combination of animal bone, rock forming minerals, and clay. This combination created a more chip resistant and stunningly beautiful piece of tableware.
Tea was consumed in tea bowls prior to 1810, when Robert Adams designed a cup with a handle on the side. As the popularity of tea grew in Britain, the way in which it was brewed did as well. The British preferred their tea piping hot, whereas traditionally tea was consumed lukewarm.
One of the most valuable tea bowls of all time is the Chicken Cup. With only 16 Chicken Cups known in existence, this rare tea sipping cup fetched US $36 Million dollars at Sothebys auction in 2014. Hailing from the Ming dynasty during the Chenghua emperor reign, this cup was created in the 15th century as an act of devotion for his empress mother. This cup represents core Chinese values such as continuing the family line and nurturing the young. Imagine how much nurturing $36 million would get you?
Ottoman Sultan Murad Sevres Tea Service Set
Release Date: 1876
This set was specially produced for Sultan Murad of the ottoman empire, who reigned for only ninety-three days. This original design does not exist anywhere else.
The tea set contains six teacups and saucers, a teapot, a sugar bowl, a creamer, and a tray. Each is painted in the luxurious shade of Azure blue and white, with gold accents.
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Find Out The Production Year
Teacups were made for different purposes. Some were intended for memorial services, while others were limited editions. Check the back stamp for information on the year the company used the marking or updated it.
Affirming the year of production can also help you understand how old the teacup and mark production year.
Determine The Extent Of Rarity Of The Item
The rarity of the pattern, shape, or model of the antique teacup largely affects its intrinsic value. If you have a limited-edition model in your hands or a celebratory piece, theyll already be out of circulation or only a few pieces will be left making them rare and highly collectible.
So, we do advise every collector to embark on intense research on whichever model or pattern is in their possession, as it might just be their next claim to fame.
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Gorgeous Ways To Upcycle Old Tea Cups
Vintage teacups are the kind of rare object that still look gorgeous and can still be useful even if theyre cracked in several places or chipped and fading. Whether youve just inherited an old set that youll never use as is or found a box of damaged ones at a rummage sale, theres a DIY opportunity in every single cup!
Check out these ultra creative ways to repurpose vintage teacups so their beauty can still be admired, even if theyre too cracked to hold your afternoon tea.