H97.101.10

The cups and saucers in this collection come from Della's Tea Cup Cafe, 7309 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland, which was established in February, 1967. The cafe is noted for, and decorated with, a very large collection of tea cups. Some of the cups were purchased by the owner, others were presented to her as gifts, while still others were made for her. A: cup is of earthenware, glazed in ecru and decorated with 22 karat gold. The gold forms two stripes, one on the exterior of the cup, just below the lip and the other at the foot; the wide stripe near the lip has been embossed with a pattern of flowers, medallions, and scrolling foliage. Beneath this stripe are additional gold decals depicting daisy-like flowers, foliage, and small circles arranged in an oval. This decal is repeated ten times around the side of the cup. The outside of the handle is also decorated in gold. The large multicolor decal is located on the interior to the proper left of the handle. It depicts a man and a woman, dressed in late 18th century costume, seated outdoors on a grassy mound near a fence and a bush. The man plays a flute and she holds a fan in her right hand; they are presumably courting. The base of the cup is marked in gold: "Warranted 22 Karat Gold." B: saucer is of the same material as the cup, with an identical embossed gold stripe along its edge and the same oval-shaped gold decals below the stripe. The center decoration is a multicolor decal identical to that on the cup. The base is marked with a blue manufacturer's mark: "Taylor Smith" inside a wreath and the numbers "547" below it. To the proper left of this and slightly overlapping it, are the words in gold: "Warranted 22 Karat Gold." When describing this piece, the donor remarked: "This [the decal of the man and woman] is like Blue Willow [china pattern]. 22 Karat gold; it's not just flashy, it's bright."

Used: Della's Tea Cup Cafe | Della Hardmon Guess | African American | Drinking | Lynn Neighborhood