Catching up on Week #1 (March 16 - March 22) for Gracious Hospital-i-Tea's Blog-a-Thon, LaTeaDah has invited us to "share a picture of [our] favorite teacup and saucer; describe it and tell its history." I have two teacups and a story with each.
The photograph on the left is one of my favorite teacups. I love the floral design as well as the colors in this particular pattern made by Aynsley. I have several pieces in this pattern; what distinguishes this set from others is that, in addition to the traditional teapot, creamer, and sugar bowl, I also have the matching sandwich tray. For several years, I had a few pieces of this bone china arranged in a little vignette: a charming invitation to partake in tea-for-two.
The photograph on the right is another one of my favorite teacups. This one has a lot of sentimentality attached to it. I am over half Irish, my mother's parents were born in Ireland. When I was a teenager, my mother made a few trips to "the old country" with my grandparents and, on my birthdays and Christmases that followed, gifts included one or two special pieces from Ireland chosen just for me. This teacup is part of a tea set: Royal Tara, made in Galway. I love the airy shamrock pattern and I love the scallops along the edges. A very delicate pattern from the Emerald Isle.
Both teacups are beautiful! I love the colors and design in the first one --- and I have a similar set with flowers like your teacup. It was given to me over time by my mother-in-law and it had belonged to her aunt. It's very old and fragile.
And the Irish teacup. . .very delicate and so fresh and pretty looking. What a special treat to look forward to each birthday: tea china from the Emerald Isle! Very nice!
Thank you for participating in the Gracious Hospitality tea blog-a-thon. I'm so glad you did!
LaTeaDah
Posted by: LaTeaDah | March 28, 2008 at 09:39 AM
Beautiful teacups! I love the one from Ireland!!
Posted by: Erin | March 29, 2008 at 05:58 PM
Hi Arlene,
I'm here but can't find the week #3 post --- so will check back again soon. I hope you have a lovely week! I'm off to make a cuppa tea. . .it looks like we will have sunshine today!
:) LaTeaDah
Posted by: LaTeaDah | March 30, 2008 at 08:06 AM
I love your tea cups--especially the Royal Tara from Ireland. What a great story. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Karen Sweet Necessi-Teas | March 31, 2008 at 03:35 AM
Hi
I am back at your blog again, as you mentioned we have the same china, so I thought I'd browse around and see if you had any pictures of yours. I see you have the Aynsley pattern. I love that one! You may be intersested to know that I do have the teapot in that pattern, but my bone china dinnerware is Foley Devonshire, and the cake plate on which the scones are shown is a Coalport pattern. They are all so similar!
Millie
Posted by: Millie | April 20, 2008 at 05:33 PM