Did eighteenth-century tea bowls have handles?

Most eighteenth-century tea bowls were produced without handles, following Chinese ceramic traditions of the period. Drinkers held the small bowl gently in the hands to sip the hot liquid. By the nineteenth century, handles became standard on teacups as dining habits shifted and tea sets grew larger and more standardised.

What is a coffee can?

A coffee can is a small, straight-sided cylindrical cup used during the Georgian and Regency eras for drinking strong black coffee after a meal. These vessels often accompanied matching saucers in a tea and coffee service. Unlike tea bowls or teacups which tended to flare outwards, coffee cans maintained a vertical profile with a loop handle.

How do I care for antique teaware?

Antique porcelain requires gentle hand washing in warm water using mild soap, avoiding dishwashers and harsh abrasive sponges. Soft cloths prevent scratching the historic glaze and delicate gold leaf. Display and storage should avoid sudden temperature changes and stack pieces carefully with padded separators between cups and saucers.

How do I identify a soft-paste body?

Soft-paste porcelain often displays a slightly warmer, creamy tone under the glaze and may show small pinprick bubbles or glaze pooling near the base. When examined closely, the paste feels softer and appears less vitrified than later nineteenth-century bone china. Many pieces from the eighteenth century also lack modern factory marks, relying instead on painted blue crescent symbols or pattern numbers.