All About Antiques: It’s All About Size

It’s All About Size

How exactly does one tell the difference between a tea

cup, demitasse, coffee cup or chocolate cup when identifying antiques you may

ask?  What did you think I was

talking about?    I think

everyone should have their very own “special” cup and saucer for enjoying their

morning coffee or afternoon tea. 

  In the early 1800’s

handles were added to the cups. 

Supposedly this “invention” was made popular by Madame de Pompadour.  The average size of a bone china

English teacup is 3.5 to 4 inches wide without the handle and 2-2.25 inches

high with a matching saucer of 5-5.75 inches.The demitasse originated in France and the word

literally means “half cup”. 

Although the French invented the expresso machine, the Italians

perfected it and there are over 200,000 expresso bars in Italy.  Demitasse cups are much smaller and

delicate for just a small amount of tea or that super strong expresso.

Demitasse cups are generally 2-2.25 inches wide and 2.25 inches high.

Hot chocolate cups were first introduced in the 18^th

century and were tall like early coffee cups and sometimes had 2 handles and a

lid.  To bring further confusion to

our readers, there were also such things as cream soups and saucers.   You would look at that and say ,

Wow! That’s a lot of coffee or tea! 

Well, you can thank the Victorians for that, they had a specialized

utensil or piece of china for everything including bouillon cups and saucers as

well as café-au-lait cups and saucers. 

Collecting cups and saucers is a very affordable and

enjoyable hobby.  You can collect

the old Homer Lauglin patterns or the old restaurant, railroad or ship china

which is much heavier and durable or you can collect the fine china demitasse

such as Shelley, Noritake or Rosenthal. 

You can make a great gift by taking an antique cup and saucer and

filling it with fancy tea bags or coffee singles or tea biscuits and wrapping

it in cellophane and tying it up in a bow. 

Big girls as well as little girls love to play tea party and you can get

cheap real teacups and saucers that are chipped or slightly damaged and if they

get broken, just throw them out or save the pieces to mosaic tile a stepping

stone or table top!  Antiquing is

recycling on the highest level, Happy Collecting!

Jillinda Falen has been buying and selling antiques

for over 27 years and is an estate liquidation specialist and licensed

REALTOR..  You may contact her via

the Houston Home Journal or by email at falen@windstream.net.

Paid Posts