Description
Four o’clock, and the salon of the old house on the Place des Vosges falls quiet. Madame sets out the silver pot, the lace napkins and a plate of almond biscuits. She pours the tea slowly, places the lid on her cup to keep it warm and waits exactly three minutes. Only then does she lift it, breathe in the fragrant steam and pronounce the afternoon officially begun. Nothing urgent is permitted to interrupt. Even the telephone, which rings at a quarter past, is ignored with perfect serenity.
Tea time is a small ceremony, and this little covered cup honors it beautifully. It is a gracious gift for a tea lover, a hostess, a bridal shower guest or a collector of tableware miniatures. Display it in a china cabinet beside real teacups, on a breakfast tray or on a kitchen shelf among tins of loose leaf. Add a sachet of a favorite blend when you give it, and the present is complete.
Piece details
- A covered cup resting on its matching saucer
- An elegant shape for anyone devoted to afternoon tea
- Considered a rare find among tableware miniatures
- In Limoges, France, cup, cover and saucer were each colored by hand
- The cup’s cover tips up on a hinge and closes with a tiny clasp fitted by hand
- Pre-owned, from a private collection of tea-time pieces
A moment of calm, in porcelain form.
