How can one imagine happy family or warm friendly gatherings? Relaxed atmosphere, cozy atmosphere, tranquility, intimate conversations, and, of course, aromatic tea. But a good drink requires decent dishes, and tea pairs made of porcelain add positive emotions like nothing else. This is a timeless classic.
From the history of services
Initially, porcelain appeared in the VI century on the lands of China and for a long time remained an unsolved mystery, the most coveted luxury goods and sophistication for the nobility.
Many tried to discover the secret of this white, very thin material, similar to stone, but light and transparent, with the image of outlandish birds and flowers. Chinese manufacturers kept secret, and the price of china was very high. Each royal palace had a special room with oriental motifs. The good taste and affluence of the owners of the house was judged by the presence of at least a couple of vases.
When trying to create something similar in Europe, faience was invented. But until the 18th century, the necessary solution was not found. The answer appeared, as often happens, almost by accident. In the course of long experiments, German scientists finally managed to find suitable raw materials. It turned out that porcelain was obtained from white clay (kaolin) and feldspar by firing them. A new story has begun.
Tea pairs, that is, a cup and saucer, as they are now presented, have become popular relatively recently. In China, they used to use a special bowl - both as a tea pot and as a cup. Europeans usually drank tea from metal utensils, gradually adopting the culture of the East.
In 1730, in Austria, it was decided to attach a neat curved handle to a traditional bowl. Such a new method quickly became popular in noble circles, ladies no longer burned their delicate fingers. The fashion for tea drinking came, and accordingly, porcelain production began to develop.
English tea party
Initially, the British imitated the Chinese in the manufacture of dishes, and only in 1731 did they develop the concept, still known as the "English tea set." Porcelain was gaining popularity.
In time, this coincided with the popularization of tea in Britain. He was included in the indispensable diet of the army and officially accepted in the palace. The Duchess of Bedford, Anna, styled afternoon tea for the aristocracy. Because of it, a law came out in England, known as the “fire-o-clock law” - all employees, military and sailors were supposed to take 15 minutes to break tea at 17:00. Lunch then passed early, and had dinner after 8 pm, and the duchess, like everyone else, managed to get very hungry. So for tea began to serve milk, desserts and sweets.
Refined tea parties were certainly carried out with a strict dress code: luxurious dresses, hairstyles, costumes, tuxedos and butterflies. And such traditions are still maintained in foggy Albion, only many people drink packaged tea.
Filling
A classic porcelain tea set consists of several items. It:
- kettle for hot water;
- teapot;
- cups
- plates for desserts;
- sugar bowl;
- saucers;
- milkman;
- oiler;
- stand for lemon;
- a dish for cakes.
English porcelain tea pairs seem to be stretched up, at the base of the cup there is a short leg.
By the way, the saucers also came up with the British so that the drink would not drip onto his knees or the table.
Russian traditions
Even Peter I, like the European rulers, was also interested in porcelain, visited foreign factories, tried to attract foreigners to start production in Russia. The emperor himself owned a large number of porcelain items.
But the first Russian porcelain cup was created in 1747 under Elizabeth I, thanks to the efforts of the young scientist Dmitry Ivanovich Vinogradov.
From the creation of small items, we gradually moved to the manufacture of larger ones, since domestic materials were ideally suited for this. New technologies and equipment were introduced into porcelain production, many famous artists were attracted, there was a high demand for beautiful porcelain tea pairs. Gradually, Russian porcelain became a worthy competitor to European and Chinese.
Soviet porcelain
Under the Soviet Union, the 1920s-1930s still remained faithful to the traditional methods of production, but there were changes in the forms, introduced innovative ways of applying images - they began to use printing and airbrushing. The most famous manufacturer was the Leningrad Porcelain Factory.
A vivid phenomenon of that time was agitation, which was reflected in china, perpetuating various slogans and appeals. Campaign items immediately went to collections, mostly foreign. Today it’s unrealistic to purchase them.
Looking at the porcelain of the Soviet years, you can feel that era. The collections were usually mass-produced, the most famous being “National Costumes”, “Our Professions”, and “Happy Childhood”. The same series was produced in different factories. Even now, the children's series is of particular value - all the details of the work turned out to be so high-quality.
The figures of Soviet factories were decorated with buffets of every family - porcelain workers, peasants, collective farmers, shepherdesses, ballerinas, athletes, and pioneers. Citizens living in those days dreamed of getting porcelain services in any way, albeit not the most valuable ones.
Modern sets - tea pairs
Strict rules regarding whether there should be a sugar bowl and milk jug on the table are a thing of the past. Now many people consider it sufficient to have only cups and saucers.
The size of the cups can be any. Modern manufacturers satisfy any demand. Most often, the products have the shape of a bowl with an elegant handle, the bottom can be flat, or in the form of a small leg. The cup expands upward, which allows you to quickly cool down the drink inside it.
The diameter of the saucer usually does not exceed 15 centimeters. In some sets they are deep enough, and tea can be drunk from them. In the days of samovars, in order to cool tea faster, people did so.
Qualities and types of porcelain
The following types of porcelain are distinguished depending on the materials used:
Hard and soft varieties differ in kaolin concentration. The more it is in the composition, the harder the finished porcelain will be. The first type is durable, heat-resistant, well resists acidic influences. Outwardly, the dishes are more snow-white and much appreciated.
Soft porcelain is more like glass. It is not as white and durable as solid.
Bone china is so called because it contains lime from burnt bone. In terms of quality, it stands in the middle between a soft and hard look.
How to choose a tea pair from porcelain
First you should pay attention to prices, then to the fame of manufacturers of products. Porcelain is very specific, because a single manufacturing technology has not been applied so far. The older the company, the more expensive and more elite the services will be. Before making a purchase, get advice, ask to show documents and evaluate porcelain painting.
Quality things are not customary to completely cover with glaze, so that you can determine the shade of the product. The lighter the porcelain, the better. In addition, the product may have a factory defect - the cup should not swing on the saucer, the edges should be smooth, without chips and cracks.
An elegantly decorated porcelain tea pair is a wonderful gift that may become a family heirloom and will be passed on from generation to generation.