Mad about tea cups

Judy's vintage tea cup collection are ready for use!

Our friend, Judith Townsend, has a penchant for vintage tea cups.  And what better way to collect them than by browsing around the charity shops and antique warehouses near where she lives – among tea-drinking people in England.  Over the years, she has come across a wide variety of tea cups but the precious cups she has in her collection are not just kept for display in a showcase.  She knows that there’s no better way to enjoy and appreciate the beautiful tea cups than by using them!

Judy's tea cups share the sideboard  with
Andy's boat model as he has a hobby in sailing

So recently when my sisters and I visited Judith, whom we fondly call Judy, and her husband, Andy, we had the pleasure of using her lovely tea cups for afternoon tea and breakfast.  

I cannot help but admire the vintage bone china and fine porcelain that seems almost translucent.  I reminded myself to handle them gently because they looked too fragile in my clumsy hands!

Each cup and saucer is a work of art.  Most are hand decorated and a few have paintings inside the cup while the gold filigree gilding is real 22 carat gold leaf!

Lovely pictures are hand-painted into the tea cups

This elegant footed tea cup has English roses painted on its inside

The edges of this tea cup and saucer set are decorated in 22 carat gold leaf

Roses and gold motifs are featured in the designs on these tea cup and saucer sets

We can forget about the mismatched sets of cups and saucers because it’s simply a joy and pleasure to sip my tea from Judy’s collection of elegant tea cups!  When I raised my cup, I even remembered to hold the handle gently and keep my little pinkie delicately lifted up to sip my tea – just like a lady… 

Gold-plated tea set the Judy inherited from her mother-in-law

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