What is the difference between a teacup and a coffee cup?

Teacups are traditionally wider and shallower to allow the hot tea to cool more rapidly during drinking. Coffee cups, particularly from the Regency period, often take the form of taller, straight-sided cans that retain heat for stronger brews.

What is a true trio in antique ceramics?

A true trio consists of a teacup, a coffee cup, and a matching saucer manufactured together as a unified set. This format allowed a household to serve both tea and coffee using the exact same decorative pattern.

How can I tell an eighteenth-century cup from a nineteenth-century one?

Eighteenth-century pieces often utilise soft-paste porcelain bodies with hand-painted underglaze blue or enamel designs specific to early factories. Nineteenth-century examples frequently feature refined bone china, brighter gilding techniques, and distinct Regency or Victorian styling.