Tea Time Thursday #85 Pink Lusterware

Happy Tea Time Thursday! It's almost Friday as I am trying to finish up this post on Thursday. My daughter Angie is having some severe back problems and we have had our little Otto here for two days and nights to give his mama a break. I will be taking her back to see the doctor tomorrow. I am just praying she is not going to have to have back surgery. So, on with the post.

I discovered Pink Lusterware through my interest in Tasha Tudor. If you are a fan, you will see bits and pieces of her many tea sets and cup and saucers in her work. I just adore Pink Lusterware! Pink Lusterware is pottery that has a final metallic glaze made with gold powder that gives it a iridescent shine. It's the gold powder that turns the glaze to pink. It was first made in England in the 1790's in Staffordshire. Both Spode and Wedgwood produced it and other companies followed, thus a great deal of it was produced.

Last year when I was able to visit Tasha Tudor's home, I was just in awe of how much Pink Lusterware was in her home...it was in several rooms. This photo shows a little shelf in her kitchen and yes, it was filled with Pink Lusterware!

This photo is of Tasha and Joan Donaldson having tea with lots of Pink Lusterware. If you would like to enjoy a story by Joan about tea with Tasha and Pink Lusterware, visit her blog....VISITS TO CORGI COTTAGE. It's a very sweet story. Joan has posted lots of fun stories about her visits with Tasha.

So when we were in New England on our trip this summer, Jimmy wanted to find a set of this beloved china for me as an anniversary present. I was just wanting to find a teapot! This is a set that also has a story. We had found a beautiful set at a lovely antique shoppe in Bellows Falls, VT. Windham Antique Center has quality items and we were excited to find a set from 1830. It had a teapot, cream and sugar, and 8 cups and saucers. My heart skipped a beat when I saw it. The shop gave us a discount and we arranged shipping. The 2 boxes arrived and we saved them for our anniversary. Sadly, the teapot was smashed along with cups and saucer. I was soooo sad.

The only saving grace was the other set we had purchased in Concord, MA. It was so reasonable and we thought we would just sell it. It was missing one cup, so it only had 7 cup and saucers. It is a pretty soft pink set. When we got it home, I actually liked it better than the other set. This goes so nicely in my tea room.

I had taken some photos of the original set at the antique shoppe before we left. This is the last look at the teapot in one piece. It was a pretty set.

The antique shoppe was very kind to issue us a replacement check. I hope the post office grants their claim.

I had hoped to have a tea tomorrow for Tasha Tudor's 100th Birthday, but it might have to wait a bit. My daughter is more important right now.