Sian (From High in The Sky) hosts a Storytelling Sunday each month. This year she’s chose a theme-“Pick Your Precious” and it’s given me a chance to think about some of the things I have that mean a lot to me. I’m guessing my children don’t know much about them, so I’m hopeful it’s meaningful to them as well.
I grew up in my Great-Aunt Edith’s house. We moved in with her when I was in third grade and lived there until we moved to New York when I was a junior. (Aunt Edith moved with us. She was 93 and had lived in the same town all her life and the same house for over 60 years.) She never married and lived with her sister, Aunt Lily, until
Lily passed away the year before we moved in with her.
When she and Lily inherited
their parents’ estates they decided to invest some of the money in some fine china. It was kept in a glass-fronted china cabinet, and she always promised me I would inherit it some day.
They had two sets of Haviland china. One of them was quite ornate, and when I
inherited the china, many of the serving pieces had been broken. The other, a delicate floral
pattern was still nearly complete. There are place settings for twelve with both tea cups and coffee cups. They seemed to
have purchased every size of platter, soup tureen, and serving dish that was available.
Tracy had to add a shelf to our dry sink (another precious item—also from my great-
aunts’ home) in order to be able to store all of it.
In addition to the china, there are quite a few single dishes and serving pieces that don’t match the other sets. This is one of my favorites.
I love these delicate dessert plates, too.
I don’t use it too often—it must be hand
washed, and our entertaining style is a bit more casual than this lovely china, but I
treasure it. I wish my kids would be interested in it some day, but I doubt it. They’re even
more casual than we are!
It’s gorgeous Karen! I would be the type to be happy with one or two of the beautiful serving pieces, but I would never use all the dishes – I’m WAYYYYY too casual for that. Something I already knew about myself getting married. I didn’t register for fine china or silver. I registered a nice set of Oneida flatware (that I still own) and a pretty set of oriental looking floral Corning everyday dishes that I no longer own – traded in for a set of Corning plain white dishes that go with anything else I put on the table!
It is absolutely beautiful! I very much hope that someone is interested and will accept it with love when the time comes. I have a green tea set my Mum gave me, which must be about 80 years old now, and I love it even though I wouldn’t think of using it. There is something special about the delicacy of the decoration and the glaze and the history too, of course. Definitely precious and it’s a pleasure to be able to admire it today
It is very beautiful. We have a set of china at home that mostly stays on the dresser. It only came out when Mum did afternoon tea with scones and jam. That meal came to be known as “pretty tea” because of the beautiful plates she used to serve it on! I think there is a story there!
It certainly is beautiful…..and I too have a beautiful inherited set that I rarely use.
Thank you for sharing your story. I don’t think they make china today that is as lovely as your aunt’s china. In fact, every day dish ware doesn’t even come with cups and saucers! They come with mugs.
Such very pretty and delicate china, and wonderfully intricate patterns too. No wonder these are so precious to you… Now I am wondering what a dry sink is?
Delicate gilded china is something I like to look at but yes, I like dishwashers and more casual dining these days.
I’d forgotten about a dry sink – thank you for that reminder. My Great-Aunt K used to have one in her camping cabin.
How funny. I had a Great Aunt Edith with whom we lived until I was 12 months old. You have me thinking now whether I still have her china cups. I sadly lost a lot of things like that during my divorce, but that’s a different story!
Beautiful china and lovely that you still have it.
What a beautiful inheritance Karen. Have a tea party, use it all. I love it! Today every thing is white and this is just so pretty.
You never know- your kids’ attitudes may change. I love the various sets of china we have (many inherited).
Rinda
What beautiful china and such a history, thank you for sharing x
Lovely pieces Karen. After Robbie’s dad passed away, his mom gave me all the old china in the house (mostly in the attic) – 4 sets! It’s lovely and I have a nice china cabinet to store them in. However, we use and enjoy it often – even for casual get-togethers. I figure it was in an attic for 40 years before we got it, collecting dust & not making any memories. Now we create memories with it often & if a piece or two gets damaged along the way, we’ll still have the memories!
This is really beautiful china and if I had it, I would use it but maybe not every day. Lovely story about your Great Aunt, you must have had a special connection with her to bring her to NY at the age of 92. My Mom’s 92 and still going strong. Thank you for your kind comment on my story. Much appreciated!
a lovely story and very beautiful china….I know what you mean about passing it on. My dad has his mums china tea/dinner set and i have to say (when i do love china) that it must be one of the most hideous sets ever made 🙂 no-one else in my family wants it inherit it and I could not see it leave the family so it looks like one day i’ll have to find room for it and you never know by then i might just love it!! Your set is so pretty and delicate that i too hope someone it your family will cherish it.
This is such a lovely story and I adore the china, it’s beautiful! I know what you mean about being almost afraid to use it though! We are the exact same at home, and we always comment that we MUST use the good china more often.
Thanks for your lovely comment on my story also 😀 x
Oh you are SO lucky to have this beautiful China! And that is a LOT of pieces. We have nothing like that being passed down in my family, although I think my mother-in-law may have had a nice set of China. Thing is she had one daughter and four sons, so I’m pretty sure my sister-in-law ended up with it – rightly so!
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