H97.101.7

c.1885-1925
2.5 in|1.125 in HIGH x 4.125 in WIDE x 3.25 in DEEP
(6.35 cm|2.86 cm HIGH x 10.48 cm WIDE x 8.25 cm DEEP)
Gift of Mrs. Della Hardmon Guess, Della's Tea Cup Cafe
H97.101.7

678 Wickes Rivet 3/0. 59XX

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, with handle made of two pieces of clay, twisted together to make a single roped or twined piece; touched with gold brush strokes. Cup is decorated with grain-shaped green motifs, laid in lattice-like pattern to form white diamond shapes centered with gold circles made of dots; this creates a general diaper pattern from rim, down approximately one inch. Plain gold stripe about 1/4 inch down from lip, on inside of cup. Full color walking pheasant on front side of cup (handle to the right for a right-handed person) and smaller flying bird (probably another pheasant, magenta body, with a small branch in its beak) on the opposite side. The cup is cracked from rim, almost to foot, to the proper right of the larger (front) decoration. Gold stripe around the foot of the cup. B: saucer is slightly scalloped with the same rim pattern as the cup. Magenta bird on the branch of a bush is the central decoration on the saucer. Paper tags were found on the bottom of the saucer; they read: "678 Wickes, Rivet, 3/0" and "59XX." The saucer, which has one side cracked, has been repaired with six metal staples, about which the donor said: "[It takes] skill [to] drill [the] hole. How could they drill holes without breaking the saucer?" "This is one of my favorites."

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

Bookmark and Share