A Message from Ruth at Antiques And Teacups

Welcome to the blog of Antiques And Teacups! Let's share a cup of tea and talk about the things we love...like teacups, antiques, collectibles, visiting England, antiquing and learning about victoriana and quirky gadgets. Fun!

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Tuesday Cuppa Tea Valuable Make-Do, Twelfth Night, Happy Birthday Kate

Hello dear friends, and welcome to the first Tuesday Cuppa Tea of 2014! Amazing! I hope your holidays were all warm and wonderful, but I know many of you are in the deep freeze at the moment with a cold Arctic storm. We actually spent several warm days over Christmas with friends in Mexico in the mid 80s which for us Pacific Northwest folks is HOT! But enough of that....



I have rather a different Tuesday Cuppa Tea offering today. At first look, this all hand painted cup and saucer is just a late Victorian drop dead gorgeous cabinet cup and saucer....



The design is all hand painted and features floral bouquets on pale blue panels alternating with panels of heavy gold arabesques with a fancy ring handle and further gold trim. Just Beautiful!




The cup and saucer made for Thomas Goode, Ltd. England in the Edwardian era, 1900-1918.  Thomas Goode of London is a premier upscale goods shop that was established in 1827 and still is in business. They are famous for designing and commissioning fabulous china, furniture and other items from the most famous manufactureres know. The items are often only marked, as this is, Reserved To Thomas Goode Company, Ltd in the United Kingdom. We don't know the maker, but whoever it is was top-of-the-line...reminds me of some of the Mintons or Crown Staffordshire designs, and is similar to a Coalport shape, but I am not sure....



But here is the intriguing part...the teacup was broken and repaired. It was a treasured piece, that the owner sent to a jewelers...an expensive project...



Can you see where the cracks were carefully riveted together with metal staples? In England in the Victorian era, this was called a "make-do" and was often roughly done by the equivalent of a blacksmith for utilitarian items. But for a repair on something of this quality, obviously cherished, it went to a jeweler. Only the most cherished items were repaired like this. It gives added character to the teacup. As you can see by the brown crack lines, the teacup continued to be used for tea, as those are tea stains.




Reminds me of the care Jesus takes mending our broken hearts and lives into something beyond the former value. We proudly carry the signs of the healing always, and continue to be useful to His glory.

There are people who collect this type of piece, knowing it was worth the high cost of repair because it was cherished and treasured.  Photos from my archives.



It's January, so I looked into the Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden, a favorite book at any time of year, and a favorite way to begin a month...




Mottoes:

  "Janiveer freeze the pot upon the fire"

"If the grass do grow in Janiveer, It grows the worse for it all the year."

"A wet January, a wet spring"


"The blackest month of all the year, is the month of Janiveer"


Blue Tits and Great Tits


Dead leaves of Elm, Oak, Beech Chestnut and Sycamore


And a reminder that this is Epiphany, or Twelfth Night. One term, Epiphany, refers to January 5th or 6th...depending on tradition or calendar...being the night the 3 Wisemen reached the baby Jesus...



It is also the end of ....


Which we all know and love, and can probably sing until we forget something and fall into giggles...


And I found this great graphic by The Business Insider.com which compares the past and current market value of the gifts...


Quite a fun comparison....wonder why the swans have appreciated so much and the 8 maids-a-milking hardly at all...hmmmm...




But in Midieval England when William Shakespeare wrote a play by that name, Twelfth Night was the end of the reign of the Lord Of Misrule which was a period from just before Christmas for frivolity,  foolishness...the word "fool" is probably founded in the revelry here... and some mayhem. Wassailing was a favorite pass time. I found a great website that gives a lot of info about the famous "Lambs Wool" punch favored for wassailing with a recipe...click HERE from RecipeWise UK.

We have our outdoor Christmas lights on tonight for the last time...they're coming down tomorrow, as we do it after Twelfth Night. Then everything will look bare and dull.


We don't want to forget to wish Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge a Happy 31st Birthday on January 9th....


And are pleased to have her join us today for Tuesday Cuppa Tea...

Have a great day tomorrow (while we are taking down the lights) and have a cuppa tea for me! The linky is below for your tea related posts, and a partial list of some of the blogs I will be visiting. Your comments are always appreciated.

One more thing...if you could please sign up to follow me on Networked Blogs above on the right sidebar it would be much appreciated...since last spring's blog scraper debacle, they have finally allowed me to reclaim my blog, if 5 people testify by following that it is really mine. Sheesh!!!

Monday Marketplace
Terri~  http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday
Teatime Tuesday
Tea With Celia
Kathy~  http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Victoria - A Return to Loveliness
Tea On Tuesday
Miss Kathy ~http://www.thewritersreverie.com/
Tuesday Tea       
Tea On Tuesday
Time For Tea
Tuesday Tea Time
Tea On Tuesday
Bernideen’s ~ http://blog.bernideens.com/
Tea In The Garden Tuesday
Lavender Cottage  Tea Time
Tea In Texas
Playing With My Camera Teatime           
Tuesday Blog Shop
Poetry In A Pot Of Tea

What’s It Wednesday                                           
Home On Wednesday



20 comments:

  1. I love both the repaired teacup and the spiritual application you shared! Just lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  2. P.S. It doesn't show on the right just yet, but I DID sign up to follow you on Networked Blogs. Hope it helps, as I can just imagine what a horror it has been to get all this straightened out!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good morning Ruth,
    My, that is a stunning teacup! I am amazed at the care someone took to piece it together. I have never seen staples holding a piece of china together. Your post is simply filled with interesting reading. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your day, my friend.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

    ReplyDelete
  4. One would surely have to love a teacup very much to have a jeweller repair it. Interesting facts a bout the Epiphany and we are honoured to have the Duchess of Cambridge join us for tea to celebrate her birthday.
    Judith

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Ruth! I had no idea that you could repair china that way...who knew!!! You are absolutely right about my teacup,.... it is a Colclough. Have a wonderful day...hugs, Penny

    ReplyDelete
  6. I always learn so much when I come to visit your tea party!

    ReplyDelete
  7. What an interesting story behind the repair of your beautiful teacup. I hadn't seen anything like that before. It certainly is a gorgeous teacup and well loved. I de-trimmed the Christmas tree today but left on the lights, crocheted snowflakes and icicles for one more night. I'll probably take it down tomorrow. Happy New Year to you. Blessings. Pamela

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the photo of Kate sipping tea. Notice she is "properly" looking in the cup. Ruth, I appreciate your comment on my blog post. I hesitated to post that, but had received 2 requests. I appreciate hearing your opinion.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lots of interesting info, thanks for sharing. I also had no idea you could repair a tea cup that way. I open up my Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady and follow along through the year too.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Happy New Year Ruth!!! ... thank you for sharing this it's amazing that a jeweler could do that.... hugs and blessings, C. (HHL)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Ruth,
    I learn so much from you! Isn't that amazing about the repair of the tea cup and how valuable it is? Thank you for sharing all your knowledge.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Ruth,
    Your featured teacup is once again amazing! I just love it's colour and shape. Just beautiful! I am featuring a Shelley today - I know you like them too! Do you have this one? Bernideen does. Thanks for hosting Tuesday Cuppa Tea. Wishing you the best of everything in 2014! Karen

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh, Ruth! Just everything in your new year post today is on my favorite things list! The mended teacup - and perfect metaphor of Jesus' care for us - is enchanting! I'm thinking even now of the story behind it - wonderful! Stay tuned this year - my second book will be chock full of these types of stories! Looking so forward to spring as we weather sub zero temps and minus wind chills. Glad the snow melted, at least!
    Joy!
    Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Ruth,
    what a luck that somebody repaired this pretty tea cup. So it is still alive. It looks a bit dangerous outside but inside the staples are invisble. Well done! Amazing because the cup is really thin, isn't it? I love also the Country Diary. So sweet. Thank you fo sharing this charming tea time.
    Best greetings, Johanna

    ReplyDelete
  15. So glad Catherine could join us for tea today : )
    That is a wonderful cup you have shared today. I have seen some repaired like this, when in England. It is such a gorgeous color and pattern.
    It is super cold here today. At least 15 degrees is cold here in NC. I am sure you must be colder up where you are.
    Happy New Year!
    Terri

    ReplyDelete
  16. Love your post. Princess Kate is so beautiful. Happy New year and thanks for hosting, Ruth...Christine

    ReplyDelete
  17. Doesn't Kate look so graceful drinking that tea? I just pinned that photo the other day. I love the book you have pictured here also. Happy New Year! Thanks for hosting!
    Sherry

    ReplyDelete
  18. I learn so much reading your posts. The teacup is lovely and I agree it makes it more special seeing the careful repairs and knowing whoever owned it continued drinking tea from it after it was repaired. Do you think anyone repairs teacups like that anymore ?

    I had to laugh at seeing your books , because I have a stack of books I get out this time of year that speak of the months and I seem to spend the most time reading & re-reading these books in the winter. The rest of the year gets so busy with outdoor needs, but sitting by the fire, sipping tea from precious china and reading good books is one of my favorite ways to enjoy winter.

    ReplyDelete
  19. That has to be one of the most beautiful cups and saucers I have ever seen. Thank you for sharing it with us.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Beautiful Post! Love the history behind the cups and the extent someone took to repair the teacup! I have that book and adore it! Wonderful post - I do appreciate you sharing with A Return to Loveliness,
    Kathy

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting and we love to hear from you! We read every comment. If my husband's health permits, I love to visit andreply. Have a wonderful day and a cuppa tea always at hand! :)

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...