Collector’s treasure trove of fine China
Glass cabinets filled with old cups and saucers adorn the hallway of Bev Clayton’s house in Timaru.
She started collecting the ornate crockery 41 years ago after receiving a yellow Paragon fine China cup and saucer circa 1923-1933 from her mother who collected salt and pepper shakers.
Clayton has been collecting ever since through garage sales, auctions and op shops.
She now has more than 150 couplings, mostly from the 1930s and 1940s, including Royal Albert, Royal Crown Derby, Imari, Limoges, Old Foley, Aynsley and Kutani.
Surprisingly she has no favourites. ‘‘I like to look at them, they’re so pretty with different colours and shapes.’’
Some are gold rimmed and have striking contrasting colours while others depict country scenes, flowers and birds.
Apart from one cup, she has a full set of Old Foley from Kent, England, cups and saucers given to her and husband Norm as a wedding present in 1966.
Her Kutani cup, made in Japan, can be held up against the light and a Japanese woman’s portrait appears in the bottom.
An intriguing bright green souvenir cup from the Dunedin Exhibition 1925-1926 has the words The Cup of Knowledge written on the inside rim.
Inside are several miniature painted playing cards used for tea leaf readings supposedly to predict the drinker’s future. Clayton came across it at a garage sale in Timaru a few years back.
‘‘A lot of people don’t know what they’re throwing out.’’
The most she has paid was $35 for a set and a couple of dollars for the cheapest. She was gifted a delicate small Crown Derby with gold trimmings by a neighbour in appreciation for neighbourly kindness.
One Royal Doulton is so thin Clayton said it would be no good for drinking tea out of.
‘‘It wouldn’t keep it hot.’’
Her most expensive is a Royal Worcester from 1882 made for a Christchurch importer A J White. It has a small crack in the cup hence it’s affordable $35 price tag, Clayton said.
It was with relief that during the Canterbury earthquakes her collection were rattled but not broken, she said.
Not all the cups and saucers Clayton owns are on display, she ran out of room. But that does not stem her desire to buy more.
‘‘I’m trying to cut it down to just four or five brands now.’’