Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems. ~Rainer Maria Rilke

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Beautiful Chocolate Pot Set for PDT.

It's Past Due Tuesday and I have something to show you that is so beautiful. This was my Grandmother's Chocolate Set. I have researched this all morning and I found a lot of information that was mixed into a confusion of Japanese/Nippon/Chinese multi designed and shaped sets from many different decades of porcelain china that was imported here and sold. The only consistency was the shape of the teapot. I found 3 or 4 sets that were totally different in the design of the hand painting, but the shape of the pot was identical in all of them. The biggest mystery of this set is the mark. I found all kinds of information on marks and went through pages of different kinds of marks that identify these varied pieces of porcelain. I never found the mark that is on the bottom of all the pieces in this set.
This is a Japanese porcelain, hand painted set with a water, sailboat and nature design. This is a complete set (minus one cup) and all the pieces have a matching pattern along the saucer and cup edges and also on the chocolate pot and lid. The border is hand decorated with a gold leaf scrolling design. The lid has a cutout with a small piece that is missing. All the descriptions say that the cutout is for stirring the cocoa and that this distinguishing feature differentiates it from a coffee or tea pot. Without the cutout it's not a cocoa pot. The lid has a "cartouche" handle and the pot has a fancy applied handle. The cups have applied elongated loop handles. The saucers are scallop edged, 4 3/4" diameter and the delicate cups are ribbed with tapered cylindrical, scalloped edges at top and bottom, 3" tall. The set consists of the tall chocolate pot, 5 cups and 6 saucers.

I wonder if my grandma used this set when she had company or, like myself, kept it in a glass case somewhere and didn't use it because she was afraid it would be broken. I would love to know how she got it and if it's worth a lot of money. Until I find out more information about the set I will just dust it once in a while and admire it's beauty. Maybe I will set it out on my new/old buffet when I move the buffet into the living room. What do you think?

Don't forget to visit Roomies With A Past for other vintage or antique things that have found a venue for showing their beauty and uniqueness. Join us....
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6 comments:

  1. I would like to know HOW that other cup got broken or went missing?!?!?!?! Maybe Grandma used it by herself once in a while and broke it? Or one of the GRANDKIDS got to it? In any case, I would love to sit and sip some chocolate with you, or maybe just some TEA sometime?

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  2. What a beautiful set--the colors are very serene. Maybe it's a one-of-a-kind? Is it possible it was a "blank" that your grandmother painted herself???
    Thanks for sharing in this week's PDT!

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  3. Wow!!!What a beautiful Chocolate set. Keep it where it will be admired by all your visitors. Have a great evening. Madeline

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  4. What an elegant set! The handpainted scenes are perfect. It is wonderful to have something so unique that came to you through family. What a treasure!

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  5. What a gorgeous set Connie. You are very lucky to have it. Has it ever been used? I love the colors and the scenes.

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  6. Connie, I am with Jan. I think it would be great to use it for hot choclate, a special after dinner occasion, just as it was meant to be used. Can you imagine how good it would taste from those pretty cups?
    xx
    julie

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