Vigo County Historical Society

Historical Treasure Article

Historic Treasure of the Week - November 16, 1986
By Helen Fagg
Vigo County Historical Society

Tea time formal for adults, play for kids during the 19th century

"Come in, dear friend,
"To sit with me
"And we shall have
"A cup of tea."

In the 19th century the tea party became a popular pastime for both adults and children in England and in America. This ritual, which moved from the boudoir to the drawing room, took on a real party air with a cup of tea accompanied by dainty little cakes and tea rolls.

In order that the ritual be effective and efficient, tea sets that contained the necessary pieces for service were produced in large numbers. These sets came from England and Germany with the greater number from England. They were made in regular and children's sizes.

The tea set pictured here is found in the Victorian Toy Shop on the second floor of the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley. It was made in the potteries at Staffordshire, England, and is of blue and white earthenware. The beauty of this set is in the fact that all of the original pieces are present and there is only small damage to the spout of the teapot.

A teapot, a sugar bowl, a creamer, six cups, six saucers, six plates and a quaint little waste bowl make up the set. A total of 22 pieces are safely and attractively displayed on a wall rack of cherry wood.

The transfer design on the china is of pastoral scenes with children and animals against a sylvan background. The same earthenware blanks were used for several designs. Sets also were made in subdued shades of brown and rose.

Other patterns were Punch and Judy, Apple Blossom, Stag, Blue Leafy and Water Hen. The motifs varied from pictures that carried a moral education platitude to a lesson in botany. Historical scenes from England and America also were much in evidence. Each unit piece had a different design for the tea drinker to meditate over and enjoy.

The miniature tea sets were seldom marked with either the decorator's or potter's mark. Many times only one or two pieces of a set had any mark at all.

Henry James wrote in "Portrait of a Lady": "There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hours dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea." Whether the tea party was with adults or a make-believe party with children, the beautiful tea sets of the 19th century enhanced the beauty and the significance of the ritual.

The tea set was presented to the museum by Bertha Retz Jakes of Florida, a lifetime member of the Vigo County Historical Society. The cherry-wood rack was a gift from Blanche J. Richardson and Bernice R. Reynolds.

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday through Friday.