Tea For One: The Beauty of the Bachelor Teapot
Long before the invention of tea bags and the concept of making a quick brew in a mug in a matter of seconds, tea time was a far more ritualistic affair. History tells us of elaborate afternoon tea parties in Victorian England and, going back far further, a rich history of ceremonial tea drinking in […] ...Read More...
The Beauty of Silver Teapots
Call me old-fashioned, but I am a firm believer that tea in its truest form has to be served in a teapot. And what could be more beautiful than a silver teapot? That’s right: nothing. Antique or not, silver teapots have something about them that adds to the tea itself, and it’s not just the […] ...Read More...
What are the Pieces in a Silver Tea Set?
This seems to be a popular question causing mystery to many ‘What are the pieces in a tea set?’ I suppose the reason why it can be a tricky one to answer is that it depends on the complexity of the tea set as to what the pieces are. I think it might be useful […] ...Read More...
Tea in the Georgian Era
The routine is familiar to us all- boil the kettle, steep the tea, and add milk and sugar to taste. Tea-making is as natural to us Brits as breathing. In fact, centuries ago writer David Elliston claimed ‘the making of tea is one of the most deep seated British rituals, impervious to change’. It’s hard […] ...Read More...
How to Make Tea Using a Spirit Kettle
Spirit kettles started appearing during the late 1600s, a time when innovation surrounding tea-drinking was at its peak. At this time, teapots were very small and didn’t contain so many tea leaves; this was because tea was still an expensive commodity that had to be used sparingly. Despite this, people were obsessing over this new […] ...Read More...
History of the Milk Jug
The Milk Jug and Creamer The quintessentially British appreciation of a good cup of tea is well rooted in history. The centuries have seen debate and disagreement over how exactly to prepare the perfect tea; do people prefer it black, with cold milk, hot milk, or even cream? These changing trends have resulted in the […] ...Read More...
What is a Finial?
The dictionary definition of a finial is an ornament at the end, top or corner of an object. With such a definition, buildings, curtain rails, flag poles, and other objects, can be said to have finials. However, in the antique silverware world, when someone says finial we might associate that word with teapots, kettles, coffee […] ...Read More...
How to Use a Silver Teapot
If you have one teapot And can brew your tea in it That will do quite well. How much does he lack himself Who must have a lot of things? – Sen No Rikyu The key to using your silver teapot is frequency; the more you use it the better it will look! In fact […] ...Read More...
What is a Caddy Spoon?
The History of the Caddy Spoon Tea was introduced to Britain in the early Restoration period. It was shipped in wooden containers, packed around a variety of porcelain vessels. It wasn’t long before silversmiths imitated this shape in their crafting of tea caddies. Around the 1760s, fashion trends caused tea caddies to change, rather than […] ...Read More...
What is a Tea Caddy?
‘What is a Tea Caddy?’ Yes, the big question on your mind when you sprung out of bed this morning – we guessed! Don’t worry, we’ll help you answer this one… A caddy – ‘A small storage container, typically one with divisions.’ So believe it or not, when you put two and two together, a […] ...Read More...
