Victorian Whistle Cup

This delightful little cup is about 120 years old and I discovered it at a flea market last month. It was made c1880 - 1890 and when I saw it, it made my heart smile.

The best bit is that it was 200 pennies :)  Yes...  just £2.

Lella Loves... Flea Markets

The decoration is all hand-painted and I love the naive flowers and the suggestions of leaves. So simple yet too pretty for words.

Lella Loves... Flea Markets

The whistle is actually the bird and it is cleverly formed formed within the shape of the handle. It was meant to keep the attention of a toddler at meal times.

So sweet... Love it!

Lella Loves... Flea Markets

The Think of Me is a lovely sentiment and is painted in gold.

Lella Loves... Flea Markets

I call this a late Victorian child's milk cup, made by an English potter. I have seen a similar one on eBay and the seller says his was made in Germany but it was the same date.

As an English blogger, and collector of delicious tat, I have some knowledge. The years between 1837 to 1901 were the reign of Queen Victoria. Ergo, items made in that period are called Victorian.

However, I don't know everything so any information would be appreciated.

I love the little darling and it's not going anywhere!

I know I bang on about table-top sales and collectable fairs but if there is one thing you would enjoy, that is to go to a flea market on a Sunday and browse the stalls with an open mind.

Have a lovely day folks.

Lella  xx

http://lellalovescreativity.blogspot.com

I want to thank Rose Petals from Heaven for this lovely blog candy and its pretty blue birds.







Here is her blog button :)

Old Spode Tea Pot

This beautiful tea pot is older than most things in my life and I squealed with joy when I found it at a local table-top sale for a few pounds.

Lella Loves... Old Tea Pots 

It is a two cup tea pot made by Spode and it's the Tower pattern.

I have done a little research and it might have been made between 1895 - 1910 as there are similar patterned plates from that period on the internet.

Lella Loves... Old Tea Pots

The repair to the handle is called a staple and it shows that this was a precious object back in its day. It is wonderful to see such care taken over something so fragile.

Lella Loves... Old Tea Pots

This lid had been dropped much later in the tea pot's life as it has been glued. The repair tells me that it must have been around the 1960s simply because of the new developments in adhesives. It was pieced back together by someone who didn't want to discard it.

Lella Loves... Old Tea Pots

The rust inside shows that as this tea pot was handed down through the family and the last person who owned it - before me - thought enough of it to use it as a knick-knack pot, possibly on a kitchen windowsill.

The rusty marks are from odd screws, safety pins and a metal button.

Lella Loves... Old Tea Pots

Factory back-stamps help us to learn about the piece.

I love the fact that this little tea pot - short and stout - has had such a long life and, even though it is damaged and chipped, there are many people who loved this old tea pot too much to throw it away.

I ask myself the rhetorical question: if most folk dropped a tea pot today, would they get it repaired or would they simply purchase a new one?

Lella Loves... Old Tea Pots

If the tea pot could talk, I wonder what it heard: what was spoken about in the Victorian conversations at high tea?

I hope you enjoyed seeing my little Spode tea pot and it goes to show that intrinsic beauty is there even with all its damage.

Have a lovely day.

Lella  xx

http://lellalovescreativity.blogspot.com