Blue and White China Part II

Today's post features blue and white china on the second wall unit, as well as the center section joining the two units together.

Beginning on the bottom row and working upward - A Bombay teapot sugar and creamer [left], purchased before they liquidated and closed their stores in the United States in 2008. Later I got the two teacups and saucers on E-bay.  The tea set sits on a white scalloped Fenton cake stand.   Sadly, Fenton ceased production of its glassware in 2011.  

Bottom center is my newest acquisition for the wall unit which I just purchased yesterday at an antique store in Grand Rapids, Ohio [a detailed post about the outing will come next week]. I needed something tall to balance the shelf, and this Blue Willow piece worked perfectly.  Research revealed it's a carafe and warming stand, and I love its uniqueness. There are no markings on the bottom of either piece, so I don't know its provenance.  Behind it is a Blue Willow plate made in England, and next to it is a Blue Willow teacup and saucer made in China.

On the right is Cobalt Blue Depression Glass - the plates are Moderntone pattern, and the cups and saucers are Aurora, both by Hazel Atlas.  Behind the Depression Glass is an imitation Flo Blue plate from Cracker Barrel.

Second shelf [left] is a commemorative plate from Winterthur Museum purchased when I visited in September 2014.  Next to it is a Tea and Toast set by Sadek my girlfriend brought back from Philadelphia, PA.  In front is a Lomonosov Russian Porcelain teacup and saucer in the Cobalt Net pattern.  [I would love to have the tea set to match someday, but it's very pricey.] Lastly, a replica First Class Titanic teacup and saucer purchased at the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in 2014.

Two trios below are the china used at the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, B.C. for their Afternoon Tea.  My hubby bought me one teacup and saucer when we visited Victoria in 2003, and I bought the luncheon plate when I returned in 2008.  The second trio I acquired on E-bay.  My hubby and I will be returning to Victoria next year for our 50th Wedding anniversary and I hope to buy the teapot to match.

The  history of the china is interesting:  It was produced and presented to King George V and his wife, Queen Mary, in 1914 upon the opening of the Booth China Factory in England. Later, the china found its way to Victoria, and graced the tables of the Empress when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth came to visit in 1939.  It was carefully stored away and didn't appear again until 1951 when Princess Elizabeth visited.  Eventually most of the china was either lost or broken.  Fortunately pieces of the original china were re-discovered in 1995 in an antique shop in Victoria, and the 'Royal China' pattern was meticulously duplicated by Royal Doulton [who purchased the Booth factory].  It has been gracing the table settings of the Empress Tea Room since Victoria Day weekend, 1998. 

Another imitation Flo Blue teapot and butter dish from Cracker Barrel [right], and an English Burleigh teacup and saucer in the Arden pattern purchased when I had Afternoon Tea at the Grand Floridian Hotel last summer.

Third row [left back], barely visible is a Blue Danube teapot trivet, in the foreground is a replica of Titanic second-class passenger china, and next to it is a Holland Delft tea caddy.

An over-sized teacup with infuser basket and lid purchased at the Charleston, S.C. Tea Plantation in the summer of 2008.  I love the tea clipper pictured on the cup.  Next to it is a teacup and saucer from Cracker Barrel.

Currier and Ives replica teapot [center] from Cracker Barrel. [I definitely boosted their sales that Christmas! ;-)]

A small Blue Willow Sadler teapot.

My hubby bought the blue transferware teapot for me when he traveled to the Civil War Headquarters of General Robert E. Lee in Gettysburg, PA with our youngest son in 2012.

Three pieces of china from England's Rington Tea Company [far right].  The teapot and tea caddy in the forefront were gifts from a dear friend's mother who lives in England. In back is Rington's commemorative Centenary teapot from 2007.  My good friend, Angela, at Tea With Friends blog spotted it when we were shopping in an antique store in Kentucky in 2014, and called my attention to it.  I happily added it to my collection.  

Top row, Shelly trio [far left], Lowesloft pattern, a gift from my girlfriend.  Beside it a blue and white Duchess teacup and saucer in the Genevieve pattern.  Next to it a Lefton bowl and pitcher my sister-in-law gave me over 30 years ago.  For a time, my bathroom was blue and white, and can you believe I used it for a toothbrush holder?  I wised-up that it was collectible and I shouldn't risk breaking it, and bought a 'real' toothbrush holder! ;-) In the forefront, a Spode Blue Room Collection "Girl at Well" teacup and saucer, first introduced in 1822.  

A Gracie china teapot [top center] and a hand-painted blue floral ramekin. [I collect ramekins and will share my collection here someday.]  Beside it a blue and white porcelain clock my daughter gave me for my birthday several years ago.

Rosina chintz teacup and saucer [top right] purchased when Cristy's went out of business last year [still sobbing].  A blue and white porcelain basket purchased at a resale shop on my 2014 trip to Pennsylvania, and lastly a blue transferware teacup and saucer my hubby got me when he purchased the teapot in Pennsylvania.

Center connecting shelf to wall units.

Music box [left] from my hubby for Christmas ten years ago.  The blue and white porcelain figurines were my mothers.

Commemorative tea history plate by Mason's in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England [right].  I got it from my friend, Denise LeCroy, several years ago when she bought two on a visit to England, and sold one to me. Blue and white Gaiwan from Teaism when I visited Washington, D.C. this spring, and the Blue Willow handle-less teacups were purchased at the Biltmore gift shop on my visit last month. The first teacups in China, Europe, and the United States were small and handleless. Handles didn't become a standard feature until around 1760.  19th century tea chest [far right] found in an antique store in 2011. 

That concludes the blue and white china displayed on the new wall units.  I've  thanked my hubby over and over for building them so I can see and enjoy my collection everyday.  

One more post to follow about blue and white china that's not displayed on the wall units.

Blue and White China

From my earliest days of housekeeping I've been attracted to blue and white china, and after 49 years of marriage I've accumulated a rather large collection of it.  Up until now I've never been able to display so much of it at one time, so the new wall units are a real treat for me. I'm not sure how much I'll enjoy the dusting though!  ;-)

Today's post will include one unit, and Friday's post will include the other. Throughout my three years of blogging, I've shown several of the pieces so you'll recognize them if you've followed my blog for any length of time.

My hubby bought me the windmill teapot and cup and saucer [top row left] at Nelis' Dutch Village in Holland, MI in May 2013. The Dutch teapot trivet came from an antique store, and the Dutch tiles were an Internet purchase.

The double spout forget-me-not teapot [top middle] was a gift from a friend.  It is sitting on a teapot trivet also in the forget-me-not pattern, along with a coordinating cup and saucer that I brought back from England in 2001. It has a Lane Pottery backstamp.  The forget-me-not cream pitcher was part of a tea set from Germany, but the other pieces met will ill-fate!

The teapot [top right] and the plate behind it came from the gift shop at the National Headquarter's DAR building when I visited Washington D.C. in April of this year.

I was gifted with the Shelley Dainty Blue teacup and saucer, and bought the luncheon plate at an antique store [second row left].  Next to the trio is a Tea and Toast set that looks like Shelley china, but it's actually Royal Albert.

The Wedgwood Jasperware tea set was a fabulous estate sale find in October 2012 [second row middle].  The previous owner can rest easy  knowing her set is in good hands with me!

The white teapot [second row right] is actually a tea light by Party Lite that was a gift from a church where I spoke.  A good friend brought the miniature blue and white teacups and teapot ornaments back to me from a trip she took.

I loved the blue toile tea cozy [third row left] the minute I saw it at Special Teas Tea Room, in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania in the fall of 2014. It coordinates nicely with the blue toile in my living room tea room. 

Beneath the cozy is a Emma Bridgewater Starry Skies teapot.  In 2011 I did a New Year's theme tea "Reach for Your Star", and bought the teapot to coordinate.

Row three [center] is a tea set adapted from the Vanderbilt's tea service.  I've been adding to the set gradually, and my most recent purchase was the sugar and creamer on our trip to Biltmore last month. 

I bought the tea cozy doll [third row right] several years ago when the lady who made them was moving away. The head and bust is porcelain, and the dress is so pretty that I'll never use it as a cozy because I don't want it to get tea stained.

She's sitting on top of a blue and white Churchill teapot that was a shower prize at a neighbor's bridal shower, which was tea themed.

The china on the bottom row [left] looks like expensive Flo Blue, but I bought it at Cracker Barrel about ten years ago.  They carried a large selection of pieces, so for Christmas that year in place of other gifts, I asked my family members for Cracker Barrel gift cards so I could purchase several of the pieces. The tray, cake stand, teapot, creamer, and sugar bowl are some that I purchased. They're the closest I'll ever come to owning Flo Blue.  ;-)

During my hubby's working years at G.M. his position required a lot of travel.  On one of his trips he got me the ginger jar [bottom middle] that I've treasured for 35 years.  The vase came from an antique store, and next to it [bottom left] is part of my light blue Madrid Depression Glass that I purchased at Maumee Antique Mall [near Toledo, Ohio] in 2012.  I love it!

The wall units have storage at the bottom which I desperately needed.  

This concludes the contents of the first wall unit.  I hope you've enjoyed seeing my treasures.