TEACUP TUESDAY'S "JAPANESE LUSTRE"

Lustre Love  is the  appreciation and humble  " LOVE" of lusterware" to which, I am smitten, especially in the china department.

Royal Sealy, is a vintage  porcelain manufacturer known for their highly collectible teasets ( 1940-1950)....   Like the glimmer of the silkworms, Art Deco styled cups and saucers were  made in Japan for export.  The designs  are history and became the most popular collecible of the era. I'm tickled pink to be able to share one of my favorite Japanese inspired cup and saucer with you.

I must admit that  living in Japan( five years)  certainly does gives a person, a lustered appreciation of cultural folk arts and the 

brilliancy of beauty, sheen and gloss ... which is exactly what lustreware is ....  a glaze, a varnish or an enamel applied to porcelain in a thin layer and giving it a smooth, glistening surface. It's quite dazzling!!!

  I was first attracted to the octangular  beauty of this porcelain  by it's opalescent pink coloration.... and  ...   bought it on sight.  My first impression  was look on the bottom and see where it was made... " JAPAN " !!!!!! Yes .. exclamation mark ... not impressed , but upon  research , I realized that  occupied Japan items, Nippon  and general Japanese porcelain  pieces are really state of the art artifacts , even without the ' made in England " stamp.

I quess, a Honey Tea  would  honor this cup, but I have never sipped, even a drop from it's ethereal being ... Somehow, I feel that it is either, too fragile or too elusive, like a butterfly... It is a work of art. !!!!

 The   honeycomb body is rare,  if not unique in the teacup and  saucer world. The raised mold of this inner cup is enhanced by the pearlized pink/lavender  finish .  A lot of imagination went into creating this  delicate  tea sipper.  

 If you look deep enough into the essence of the cup, it might remind you of the Nellie Moser Clemetis petals  that  shimmers like fairy gossamer  in the sunlight....Beautiful !!!! ... or you might just  find a quiet moment to reflect... We had a tornado touch down last month  so, I find these  reflective moments of nature with my teatime, a calming therapy !!!! .

Goodness, I must admit to a fetish for the 3-footed, gold gilded beauties that balance, soooooo ....  daintily on their  base.  Infact, I smirk at the  simple audacity of this saucy little set, to display itself so boldly, yet, it's also so much like a Grecian urn, sitting silently in a corner, waiting for  admiration ...  " will someone please notice me " ...  Often times, I feel like Disney,  sweeping the inanimated objects into animation ...  I quess I shan't worry until I  start talking to the cups and saucers  ... That's the problem ... I do ( Ha Ha) !!!

Japanese artists  have focus and precision when it comes to balancing beauty and nature. An opalescent finish, combined with  a hand-painted metallic gold gild, is why  lustreware and fine china are still sought out by collectors.

I wanted you to  take a peek at the fancy gilted medallian and scalloped edges of the saucer.  Don't you think it looks regal ?  Lustreware is not everyones cup of tea, but it's sheer wonderlust to me. ( Twinkle Twinkle )  Quite simply ... It's pretty!!!!

If you do feel the urge to collect something  a little different  ... Please .... pause for a moment to just admire the creative aspects of the Japanese teasets... It  really is fine porcelain art,  fit for a King or Queen ... Oops ... Emperor or Empress!!!!

Thank you all for your kind visits and know that I'm so excited to visit your Teacup Tuesday Blogs.
Would you like to try a crumpet  with your tea today ?