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| The earliest recorded images of egg cups appear in a Turkish mosaic dating from 3AD and examples were
found among the ruins of Pompeii from 79AD. Undoubtedly wooden egg cups were made before silver ones but are extremely difficult to date. Throughout the 18th and into the 19th century, pottery and porcelain egg cups only featured as part of a dinner service and they would have been of a matching style, colour and pattern. During the 19th century, egg cups were produced in their own right as individual pieces of chinaware. Most egg cups did not have a maker's mark on the bottom, so it helps to look out for larger pieces in the same pattern so as to identify the maker and to give an idea of the date. Silver egg cups, made in the 19th century were often gilded inside. This was to prevent the sulphur from the egg staining the silver. Some say that it affects the flavour. At this time 'egg' spoons tended to be made of horn, ivory or bone, these are now avidly collected. In France, Louis XV helped to boost the popularity of egg cups. People would buy an egg cup to try and emulate their king. He was reported to be able to 'decapitate an egg at a single stroke'. The earliest examples of Victorian egg cups often come in sets of four, six or even twelve pieces on a matching tray. Breakfasts had become gastronomic feasts by this time. Families of 10+ were commonplace. Between the wars, 'Art Deco' exploded onto the scene with such names as Clarice Cliff and Susie Cooper being very much in vogue. Their new ideas in patterns, design and colour struck with many people's imaginations. The couble egg cup became very popular in the 1930's. The smaller end was used to serve the egg chopped, mixed with salt and pepper and eaten with a spoon or fork. Also popular around this time was a style known as Devon 'motto ware'. These cups usually have a motif of a cottage, crowing cockerel or a seagull with sayings such as 'fresh today' or 'waste not want not'. Not surprisingly, vast quantities of egg cups were made to appeal to young children, to encourage them to eat more eggs. Egg cups were decorated with pictures of favourite characters from childrens's books, cartoon films and comic strips. Characters such as Felix the Cat, Bonzo and Mickey Mouse became very popular. Later came Muffin the Mule, Sooty and The Muppets to name but a few. There has even been a set of Teletubbies egg cups produced! Wooden egg cups make an interesting collection and again many hundreds have been made over the years. In fact some of the earliest egg cups were made of wood. Many different type of wood have been used to make egg cups; maple, pine, rosewood, mahogany, olive wood, fruit woods, oak, birch, ash, walnut, the list goes on. Modern egg cups that we see today are factory made and very inexpensive, however collectors tend to look out for the older, more unusual pieces. Most pottery firms, large or small, have a range of egg cups in their pattern books. Some had short production runs and some were made for many years. The Willow pattern has been in use by a variety of makers since the first decade of the 19th centruy, and Spode have had the Italian pattern in continuous production since its introduction in 1816. The egg cup has to be one of the world's simplest and most successful ideas. They have been produced for centuries in countless 1000's but they have only really become 'collectable' during the past few decades. |