H97.101.23

c.1850-1910
3 in HIGH x 3.75 in WIDE x 2.75 in DEEP
(7.62 cm HIGH x 9.52 cm WIDE x 6.98 cm DEEP)
Gift of Mrs. Della Hardmon Guess, Della's Tea Cup Cafe
H97.101.23

7, 21X

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 porcelain, glazed in white and decorated with a hand painted scene on one side in metallic gold with details outlined in black; the scene (Greek or Roman?) depicts two women, partially draped in cloth and barefoot, on either side of an altar. The female on the proper right is kneeling on one knee with both arms outstretched and offering a bowl of flowers and leaves. The figure on the proper left is standing; in her upraised right hand she holds a large chalice; in her left, a small bouquet of two flowers. The altar is decorated with a mask or representation of a male face and a draped garland, bordered with two goat heads. Small flames rise from the top of the altar. The lip of the cup is decorated with a gold stripe. The handle, molded into trilobal shapes at each end and split into two parts along its upper portion, is also decorated with gold outlines. B: saucer is porcelain, glazed in white with a gold circle in ints center and a gold stripe along its rim. The sides are very deep. The bottom is marked with the number "7," an adhesive label that reads "21X," and two indentations along the edge that may be "11." The donor remarked: "This type, I love it. I love this saucer, the depth of it. That always impressed me."

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

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