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| Improvised Butter Dish |
The saucer is one from a tea set that had belonged to my step-father's mother, the glass dish is from a set of dessert bowls that was a gift from an aunt, one Christmas.
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| Butter Dish |
The saucer has a Japanese scene, with Mount Fuji towards the upper center:
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| Painted Saucer |
On the underside, there is a crown with "Hand Painted" written below:
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| I haven't been able to identify this mark |
At one time, there used to be a set of six, but now, I am down to just two cups. Both cups and their saucers sit on my kitchen counter, as I use them for my evening tea, along with cups from my Royal Albert Old Country Roses set. The cups are eggshell thin and have gold rims, so I wash them by hand. The saucers have gold rims, too, but they are mostly washed off!
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| Cup and Saucer from the Set |
The cups hold a secret, inside, as there is a raised design of a geisha in the bottom:
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| Raised Design of Geisha |
But that is not the real secret! The real secret is revealed when you hold the cup up to the light, for that is when the painting of the geisha is revealed!
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| Painting of Geisha |
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| The Rest of the Set |
This tea set is one of two that I have which belonged to my step-father's mother. The other set is a little more complete in that there are seven teacups (originally, it had been a set of 12):
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| The other tea set |
I use the saucers and side plates from this set for my almsgivings, to serve the cut fruits and candies, etc. They, too, are very delicate with gold trim and need to be washed by hand.
We kept these tea sets with relatives when we left Sri Lanka and brought them back with us on a later visit. I carried them in my hand luggage, and I swear, that bag got heavier and heavier as I walked the corridors of Heathrow airport with them! LOL. And I got to do it twice, too, because we stayed overnight at a hotel, en route. So, carried them once through the airport to the hotel and again, from the hotel back to the airport!
I suppose I will eventually buy another butter dish. In the meantime, I am quite happy with my improvised butter dish, mainly because I am using what I have, without spending money to buy something else. I've plenty of extra saucers and glass bowls if these break. The glass bowl is small enough for me to lift it without a knob from which to hold it. But, I could glue a knob to the top of the glass bowl, it I come across one.
What do you think of my improvised butter dish? Yes, it isn't shaped like a regular butter dish, but it works (the bowl is large enough not to touch the sides of the stick of butter). How likely are you to improvise something using what you have instead of running out to buy a replacement?
I think if it works there is no need to buy a butter dish. At my house improv is the name of the game! You tea services are quite beautiful. It was worth the heavy load through the airport!
ReplyDeleteI think it works well enough, Anne. At least for now. :) Thank you, the tea services are rather special, aren't they?
DeleteI'm all for improvisation! I think you did great by using what you already have.
ReplyDeleteI love the painting of the geisha. I've never seen one like that.
I'm happy with my new "butter dish". :) The geisha makes a nice little surprise, doesn't it?
DeleteI think you were very ingenious to use something you already had to act as a butter dish. If it works for you, why indeed buy something else?
ReplyDeleteNow that you're retired, you should apply for tickets for the Antiques Roadshow the next time they film in LA and bring the dishes that you would like to be identified!
I like the idea of going to the Antiques Roadshow, with my china! The 2018 tour is already over (they were in San Diego in May!), so I'll have to keep an eye out for the 2019 tour and hope they come to California. :)
DeleteWhat an excellent idea, to create an improvised butter dish. I can't see the need for a replacement if this one works so well for you! I have a weakness for using saucers, when a small plate is needed, even though I have small plates. It's easy to put a cookie, or some cut up apple, or a couple of crackers and s sliver of cheese onto a saucer. After all, they are my saucers and I can do what I like with them! We mostly use china mugs to drink out of, so the everyday cups and saucers don't get used much. Of course for company the good plates are used. It's always fun to repurpose things. Daughter-in-law will sometimes serve a small dessert in shallow cups from the best set. I store Bandaids in a blue-and-white lidded sugar jar in the kitchen!
ReplyDeleteWell, this saucer and bowl butter dish has been working out well enough for me. I use saucers for soap dishes, too! I drink coffee and cocoa in mugs, but prefer a teacup and saucer for tea! My daughter laughs at me, but I enjoy drinking my tea from a favorite teacup. :)
DeleteI love the secret in the tea cup! I makes it extra special. And both sets are beautiful and I can see how they would be such a treat to use. Diana
ReplyDeleteYes, both sets are special, and I will continue to use them and enjoy them for as long as I can. :) Thank you for commenting, Diana.
DeleteNo need to get a new butter dish. That one works great and is prettier than anything you can get at the Dollar Store. Love the secret geisha.
ReplyDeleteIt was meant to be a temporary fix, this new butter dish, but it seems to be working well, so far! :)
DeleteBrilliant use of items at hand to create a needed, functioning, covered butter dish. I suggest a marble or bobbin or twist cap from a tube of toothpaste hot glued as an easy 'knob.' [can be painted as preferred with Dollar Store craft paint]
ReplyDeleteYes, I too am always happy to repurpose items at hand to give me something I need. I power stapled a wire mesh type magazine holder, to the inside cabinet door of my bathrm vanity to hold [hot] hair roller, tongs, wands and dryer.
I was excited to see you nearly 'nest' tea cups for efficient use of display space. If you want to 'nest' it's a bit of a 'fiddle.' Atop 4 saucers, prepare 4 cups, add each cup with the handle turned in to the centre of the previous cup. A bit difficult with 4th cup, starting with handle and wiggling the set. Currently it's popular to set cups atop saucers, open top, in front row of 5, add row two of saucers, top with tea cups. If your China cabinet has the plate rail it's dinner plate, dessert plate, fronted by double row of stacked tea cups. {I like to fool around with different displays}
Thank you, Hon. As I stated, it was supposed to have been a temporary fix until I bought a butter dish, but it's working well for now!
DeleteI like your idea of fixing a magazine holder to the cabinet door! Right now, I have the dryer, curler, etc., in a drawer.
The china cabinet doesn't have a plate rail, and I am always nervous of what might happen if there's an earthquake! I could try to nest the Old Country Roses teacups - right now, they are just stacked, on either side of the plates.