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elbowcrooker

Antiques tweet No.5: tea bowls.

When tea was first brought to the UK from China in the 1650s there were two problems: it was very expensive and the tin-glazed ceramic vessels of the day could not withstand boiling water.
The solution was to import tiny handle-less porcelain tea bowls and matching saucers from China along with the tea.
Even when suitable cups could be made here, from the 1760's, they were still made without handles for another 50 years.....

Alt text: A collection of tea bowls, some with their matching saucers. Top shelf, Chinese. The small ones on the right from the 1720s. Remainder British, both hand painted and transfer printed, many with designs that imitate the Chinese originals. The cup with a handle is a coffee can, exactly as sold 200 years ago, i.e. with a matching tea bowl and one saucer.
Apr 10, 2025, 09:27 AM·Public·Moshidon
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