Today I want to show you to my two Colclough tea cups.
I am not sure what the pattern is officially called-- I call it Crinoline Lady.
Though they look like identical twins, upon closer inspection there are some interesting differences.
One was bought at a thrift store, another at a bargain price at an antiques shop. Neither came with its proper saucer. The one above is on a saucer from another (I think maybe older) Colclough tea set, the gold design of which exactly matches the gold floral motif on this tea cup.
This is the saucer that was bought with the first cup; it says "Empire England" on the back. It is made of a heavier china than the Colclough cup. Though the little bit of garden architecture (detail above) looks as if it would go perfectly with the strolling lady among the flowers, it is in fact the wrong set of colors to match the cup. It does a good job with its impersonation, though.
The lady wears a crinoline skirt in yellow, with what looks like a blue bodice and a blue shawl with yellow trim. She wears a yellow hat tied like a bonnet and holds a basket on her arm. She looks as if she is concentrating on her task as she strolls through her garden, amongst the hollyhocks and roses, gathering flowers for a bouquet. Or perhaps she is thinking that the gardener needs to spray those aphids. Or, perhaps she is tired from the glare of the sun and is headed to the house for a cup of tea. We may never know.
The other side of the teacup shows one of the lady's garden rooms. A flagstone path leads to a sundial on a pedestal. The design on the back seems more centered than the front. Notice the handle shape and size.
The bottom of the cup says "Colclough, Bone China, Made in England."
Now for our twin lady. Notice the thickness of the gold floral motif, and how its leaves hit milady's hat. Also note that this cup's colors are brighter than the other. This scene also seems off-center.
The back of this cup show the thicker gold on the rim. Notice the handle shape and size, and how it differs from the previous cup. The handle looked as if it may have been repaired at some point-- or there was a hairline crack in it.
The saucer paired with this cup is not the proper one, but the clever shop owner picked a good match for the cup's bright colors and theme.
The bottom of the cup.
One reason that I joined Teacup Thursday was because I had been cataloging by photo all the teacups in the china hutch, and if you are a blogger, all photos are fair game for posting! I'm very glad I did take photos of this pair, for these teacup twins have since suffered tragedy. The aforementioned handle flaw turned into a fatal break, and other mishaps occurred that befall all teacups in the end. This duo has now been laid to a temporary rest in the broken fine china box; though they are out of hot water it is far from the end of their useful lives. Someday I am going to start a new hobby, and these lovely ladies will appear as centerpieces on mosaic tables or trays (like these!), surrounded by even more roses in their gardens.
