Teacup Tuesday: Countess

Last January I posted about How to waste a Friday afternoon researching my thrift store find of a gorgeous 12-place setting of Homer Laughlin Eggshell Georgian china in the Countess pattern. I honestly thought I had done another post about this set of china, but I must have written it in my sleep and never published it!

To say the least this set of china has fascinated me and while I hesitate to say it is my favorite of the sets I own, I have to confess that it has worked its way into my heart. The ivory color and delicate pattern charm me as well as the vintage look and the shapes of each piece. However, I think it is the mystery of who owned this set of china before me, where was it bought, was it wedding china or perhaps a premium given away as a promotion, was it something that was saved for until the funds were available to purchase it? I wonder about the special occasions meals were served on it, and how did it come to be in a thrift store in San Antonio, Texas? Its charm and mystery have drawn me to it.

I find myself using a dinner plate or salad plate frequently for a meal or one of the little fruit bowls for grapes with whole milk yogurt stirred in. Eating off one of these plates just adds a little fun to the meal and makes it feel special.

Yes, each time I use them they have to be hand washed. But it doesn’t take long and as I wash I think about the hands that washed them many years ago and, in a strange way, I feel connected to that person because I’m using their china and enjoying it. I can tell the set was used many times because some pieces have wear on the gold band and the large platter has a chip on the underneath side. I have to think that someone else was captivated by this set of china and used it with pleasure.