The Summer Photo Scavenger Hunt has two prompts - #11 Something you need to throw away and #15 Something inherited.
Even though I didn't intend to take photos for either of these prompts when I washed the dishes, last night, that is exactly what happened!
I like to use a couple of my favorite tea cups when I drink my tea. I usually alternate between the two. The morning tea is drunk in the cup I showed earlier, in the Old Country Roses pattern:
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| Old Country Roses Tea Cup and Saucer |
The evening tea is drunk in a cup from a tea set I inherited from my step-father's mother. At one time, it must have had at least six cups and saucers, along with the teapot, creamer, and sugar bowl. By the time I received it, there were only two cups to go with the six saucers and the sugar bowl had lost its lid! For the longest time, the remnants of the set sat in my china cabinet, on display, rarely used, although I remember using them daily when we were back in Sri Lanka. Then, a few years back, I decided that I was going to use the good china for daily use, again, instead of keeping it only to be disposed of after my death (at the time, my daughter wasn't interested in the old china, although, she now says she will probably keep the old tea sets!).
I usually wash the tea cups first and put them away before I washed the rest of the dishes. Yesterday, I got lazy and relaxed. I kept the soaped tea cup on the edge of the sink and went to take a long handled serving spoon to wash next and the handle knocked the cup off the edge and this was the result:
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| Broken Tea Cup |
As far as I know, this pattern has no name. This is the scene that is painted on all the pieces - I'm showing the saucer, here:
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| A Japanese Landscape with Mt. Fuji in the Background |
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| Crown and Cross Mark on the Back |
What makes it extra special is the secret it holds - at the bottom of the inside of the cup, there is an imprint of an image of a geisha:
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| Imprint of A Geisha on the Inside Bottom of the Cup |
Raise the cup to the light and this is what you see:
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| Hand Painted Image of Geisha |
I don't know exactly when my step-father's mother received this tea set as a gift from one of her daughters, but, it is safe to assume that it was sometime before her death in the early 1960s. I am now left with one cup in the set.
And this photograph that meets the criteria for both SPSH prompts #11-Something you need to throw away and #15-Something inherited, thus "killing two birds with one stone":
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| Broken Inherited Tea Cup! |
The old saying in Sri Lanka, when some china or glass breaks like that is that all the "vas" (ill will/evil eye) left the house! It's a good way to justify the breakage, I suppose! Not to mention one way of decluttering!
I guess I had better return the last tea cup back to the china cabinet and find another tea cup for my afternoon tea!
I remember seeing this cup with the image of Geisha in one of your previous posts.
ReplyDeleteI’m sorry it broke. But let’s hope all the ill will left your house !
You have a good memory! Yes, I had posted a picture or two of this cup, earlier. It was something my mother and aunts used to say, when something broke, that all the vas went. Maybe your mother says it too? Yes, lets hope that any and all ill will left! :)
DeleteI don’t think my mom says it. But she believes that some people have evil eye. 😊
DeleteHowever, if it’s true there shouldn’t be any ill will at all in my home, because I often break stuff . 😁
Ah, yes, my mother believed it, too. :) Well, I'm glad to hear that you are protected from any ill will with your frequent breakages! :D
DeleteWhat a pity the cup got broken. I hate it when I break things, but accidents do happen - what a great idea to believe it means that evil has left the house. I will have to remember that one :)
ReplyDeleteI, too, hate it when I accidentally break things, but, that is the downside of actually using things. The saying is a way to console ourselves about the breakage, I suppose. :)
DeleteThat is a very neat image in the bottom of the cup. And now all the bad mojo is gone!
ReplyDeleteWe could all do with a little less bad mojo hanging around us, couldn't we? LOL.
DeleteI think that is a lithophane geisha. It's beautiful and such a shame about the breakage. Have you thought about repairing it? The Japanese consider the breaks and repairs to be part of an object's history and the visible repair to be beautiful in it's own right. Mind you, they do use powdered gold or silver in the repair, so maybe not! It's called kintsuji.
ReplyDeleteEileen, thank you! That is exactly what it is! I looked up "lithophane" and the article mentioned that Japanese lithophane tea sets were called "dragonware" and were popular trade items during WWII and there was a picture of Japanese cups with similar geisha lithophanes! It makes a lot of sense, too, because my stepfather's sisters married Navy officers around the time of WWII.
DeleteI have considered repairing the cup! In fact, that was my first thought! I might be able to glue the pieces with some superglue (sorry, no powdered gold or silver!) and keep it for display purposes. I'll have to wait until I can buy some superglue, as I don't have any on hand. But, then, I have quite a few things that I have repaired and how am I ever going to declutter if I repair and keep everything? Although, not everything I've repaired and kept has the same history behind it. Believe me, this is a debate I have with myself every time something breaks!
That is the coolest cup and so sorry that you're down to one.
ReplyDeleteI found out a little more about the cup from Eileen's comment above! It's called lithophane and these Japanese tea sets were apparently a popular trading items with GIs stationed in and around Japan during WWII. :)
DeleteOh that seems sad, to have broken such a beautiful cup. I wish you could have used the Geisha part in a mosaic of some kind. Blessings, stay safe, xoxo, Susie
ReplyDeleteYes, I was sad it broke and I had the same thought as you - could I use the geisha part in some way? I have seen some examples of where someone crocheted around broken pieces of porcelain and made brooches, etc. I'd need to buy something like a tile cutter to cut out only the bottom of the cup. The other alternative is to get some superglue and try to repair the cup! I wouldn't be able to use it to drink out of, but, I could display it, or turn it into a pin cushion, or something! Decisions!
DeleteI'm sorry you broke the tea cup but am happy you still have one left - it is a special piece - both sentimental and unique.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debra. I found out a bit more about this cup when Eileen mentioned "lithophane" in her comment! I am glad I have one intact cup left!
DeleteI was going to suggest repairing the cup as well. It looks like it broke into large pieces that would easily go back together. My husband has repaired several things lately using the principle of kintsuji. Instead of real gold, though, he used gold paint in the cracks. The repaired items are pretty cool. You could then put a succulent in it and it would have a new purpose.
ReplyDeleteChris, yes, the break has clean edges and I can fit the two pieces that broke off to the cup. Using gold paint in the cracks is a good tip! Thank you! :)
DeleteWow! That's so neat how the geisha appears. Sorry to hear that you broke your cherished tea cup. I think it's wise to enjoy your pretty things while you are alive, though. You will find another.
ReplyDeleteIt is neat, isn't it? I found out, from Eileen's comment, above, that it is called lithophane. :)
Deletebaby Jamie update:feeling much better today- her fever seems to have been caused by a reaction to a bug bite (we are in Texas ... bugs are just a fact of life if playing outside)- she is back to being a kitty again ... wearing her headband with cat ears, and I made her a pink kitty tail that pins on whatever she is wearing at the moment- no, we do NOT spoil babies/children ever-
ReplyDeleteI am sorry you had the 'china incident' (sounds like an international conspiracy)- I tip-toe around all of the inherited dishes and crystal that I have which makes them even more useless and an even better reason to find all them new homes-
Fondest wishes-
Barb
Barb, I am so glad to hear that baby Jamie is feeling better and the fever was due to just a bug bite and nothing more serious. Ha, ha, my daughter, too, has cat ear headbands (and some that just clip on) and used to have a tail! LOL. Oh, no, we do not spoil our children, ever! :D
DeleteOoh, I like that - the china incident! :D I really don't have many inherited china pieces and I do use them, every so often.
I hope baby Jamie continues to feel better and everyone else stays well and safe. Take care.
Why is it that we break special irreplaceable things? It is sad, but it certainly appears that your cup will go together easily if you choose to save it and repair it. I wonder if there are any specialists around who can use the special technique? At least the geisha is intact.
ReplyDeleteI have a little (3 1/2 inch tall) Japanese hand-painted porcelain jug with a scene and a little bird and a flower. It has a white handle with bumps like bamboo. I bought it somewhere secondhand, a lovely find over 50 years ago. You've made me want to look up the Japanese characters on the base, now!
I guess it's because some of us insist on using them! LOL. I have since returned the one remaining cup to the china cabinet! I will continue to use the Old Country Roses for my daily tea - as my daughter says, I have more cups in the set and it is still in production! LOL.
DeleteOh, I hope you find out more about your little Japanese jug. If you need help deciphering the Japanese characters, feel free to email me a photo and I can ask my daughter if she can help. She minored in Japanese.
Oh that's too bad about the broken tea cup - but brilliant use of it for the SPSH. Having the photo might make it easier to let it go & fully be #11 :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary Lou. Almost as soon as it broke, I thought I should take a photo for the SPSH! LOL.
DeleteI'm so sorry your beautiful teacup got broken, it was such a unique design as well. Although, I am still a firm believer it is better to have the pleasure of such items, rather than them being kept hidden away. X
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jules. I've kept the pieces to see if I can glue them together - I might be able to reuse the cup for something. But, I have to wait until I can get some superglue!
DeleteAnd this is why I leave my tea cups behind glass in my little china cabinet. LOL. Actually, that isn't it at all. You might remember a couple(maybe 3 years ago) when I had my two youngest grand daughters visiting me at the old house, and we had a tea party. We used the fancy tea cups for the party. I think the Geisha teacup is irreplaceable. Put that away. The Old Roses is still available.
ReplyDeleteYes, I put the last remaining cup back in the china cabinet! LOL. At first, my daughter wasn't all that interested in the old china and I thought I might as well enjoy them because she will get rid of them after I am gone. But, now, she says she might probably keep them! LOL.
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