My Teacup Collection Teaches Me to Look for Joy in the Smallest Places

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As with any great story, my affinity for teacups didn't start from one particular event, but rather a medley of experiences that led to one eclectic collection. It should come as no surprise that Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was one of my favorite books growing up. I spent hours dreaming about what it would be like to attend one of those magical tea parties outside of the March Hare's house, rambling on with the Mad Hatter about the happenings of Wonderland. A childhood fantasy, of course, but it got me thinking about how my family hosted their own version of a tea party.

A meal was never complete unless it ended with a piping cup of coffee—or in my case at the time, juice or iced tea. We would spend the last moments of dinner reflecting on the meal that was just eaten and regaling stories of the past. Most times, after-dinner coffee was served in mismatched mugs passed down through generations or collected from the places we visited. However, once the holidays rolled around, my family would open the dusty old buffet cabinets to reveal sparkling heirloom dinnerware. Away went the clunky mugs, and out came delicate teacups with painted verdant vines wrapped around the rim.

Though these teacups were festive and beautiful, it wasn't the contents or design that necessarily mattered to me—it was what they represented. These porcelain cups were the stars of an unofficial tea party, and they ushered in quiet moments of reflection and enjoyment with my family each holiday season. While I've always treasured this family tradition and admired the artistry and history of teacups, I rarely ever picked them up for myself. It was more admiration from afar: ogling at the hand-painted tea sets at mom-and-pop shops, chuckling at the ladies at tea detailed on the pages of Jane Austen novels and thinking about what cup design would best suit the tea blend I was trying. However, that all changed during the pandemic.

Homesick, scared of the uncertainty, and stir-crazy from being stuck in my tiny Birmingham apartment, I was looking for something, anything that could help break me from the severe bout of depression I was dealing with in the summer of 2020. Armed with a face mask and hand sanitizer, I drove out to a sprawling antiques shop nearly half an hour outside the city. I stumbled into the brimming shop thinking it could spark inspiration, only to be greeted by a pair of French glass teacups in a darling pink shade. Suddenly everything felt as though it would be alright. As cliché as it may sound, looking through those rose-colored glasses brought back the memories of my family's dinnertime tea parties and the daydreams of Wonderland. I left with those glass teacups and a renewed sense of hope.

My collection has grown over the past few years, and now I purchase any teacup that sparks a sense of joy. My favorites are those I find hidden on the back shelves of antique stores. Each time I hold them in my hands, I can't help but think about who loved them before me. Were they once used by a troupe of Southern belles who would meet for tea every Saturday? Did they sit on the counter watching over two siblings argue about how much cardamom their grandmother added to her beloved chai recipe? What stories could these cups tell?

And while my collection tends to consist of mostly vintage beauties, there are countless modern creations by artisans across the world I can't stop thinking about. Here are a few I've been eyeing that would surely look good in your own collection. I'll be waiting for my invitation to the tea party.