Porcelain service: history, types, rules of care

Starting with children's sets for toy tea drinking and ending with luxurious antique porcelain, the services that came to us from the East became an integral part of everyday life. Without them, there will be no friendly meeting, no gala dinner, no family gatherings. Porcelain set is not only an ornament of an interior, but also practical utensils which time and again will bring aesthetic pleasure to those who uses it. Read more about its history, types and subtleties of care.

Back to the past

Pottery accompanied the man from time immemorial and is found in excavations around the globe. However, tea and dining sets in the closest understanding to this day appeared in China, where porcelain was invented in 620. The ruling Song Dynasty has built factories for the production of utensils from this material. And in the north of the empire produced white porcelain, and in the south - light blue. In Europe, it came about in 1400, where sets of unparalleled beauty for those times became very popular among the rich layers of the population.

And for 300 years the Chinese managed to remain monopolists in this field. And only in 1708, experimentally managed to get European porcelain. In Russia his formula was discovered by the scientist DI Vinogradov in the late 1740s, which made it possible to produce such dishes in St. Petersburg.

What is the traditional Chinese porcelain tea set?

It includes not only the usual elements for us, but also a lot of interesting utensils:

• kettle;
• tray;
• Small cups strictly in the form of a bowl;
• Tea tools (a spoon for transferring tea to the brewer, a needle for cleaning the spout of tea, a funnel for falling asleep tea, tongs to take hot pialas, a knife to cut the pressed product);
• Strainer;
• A beautiful small clay figure of an animal - this is a necessary piece of decor, which is contemplated while enjoying a drink.

The Chinese porcelain service, as a rule, is painted with complex patterns with a very high degree of detail.

New Traditions

Europe actively picked up Eastern customs and eventually defined its standards. The first was popularized by porcelain and tea Denmark. The services of this country were distinguished by light color, practical, slightly rough, but strong design. They are often painted on drawings depicting scenes in the pastoral style. The cups had a round wide bottom to keep the warmth of the drink longer.

Russians were inferior in their love of tea only to the British and achieved unprecedented mastery in the manufacture of beautiful dishes. The services were made from fairly thick porcelain with complex, ornate patterns. The dishes had rounded edges.

The English, who treat tea not only as a drink, but as a lifestyle, made the porcelain service a real work of art. Especially popular are elongated shapes and floral patterns. In the Victorian era, beautiful tea and dining sets were mandatory for all meals in well-to-do homes. And since porcelain - the material is fragile, then for a long time there were several popular drawings on sale, and if necessary, buyers could replace the broken element or simply increase their set of dishes, keeping everything in one style.

Present day

The composition of the modern porcelain set includes at least 6 cups, 6 saucers and 1 teapot-kettle. But there are also larger sets. In addition to a larger number of cups and saucers (12 pieces), they can include: a few teapots, a sugar bowl with a lid, a creamer, a plate for a cake, a tray.

And what is the difference between a porcelain coffee service and a tea service ? First of all, the size of the cups: the stronger the drink - the smaller they are. In addition, for tea, the saucer should be with a groove, so that you can drink from it, and the coffee can be completely flat.

Table set can have much more components: deep plates for soup, small ones for snacks, plates for dessert or pies, soup bowl, salt shaker, lubricator, etc.

For everyday use it is better to have a separate set with thicker porcelain and a stable form of dishes. Especially popular white color, because it beautifully shades and does not distort the color of drinks and dishes. In addition, it is easy to combine with other dishes and the general style of the kitchen.

Proper care

Porcelain set with exquisite decor can become a family heirloom. But in order to ensure that it remains intact as long as possible, it is important to know some rules. Here's how to care for tea and table sets from porcelain:

• Wash the dishes with a non-corrosive detergent and do not rub the areas with gilding, otherwise they will quickly erase;
• When storing saucers "stacked" put between them a piece of thick paper;
• Gently lift and lower the lids on the dishes;
• Try to carry kettles, cups, tureens and other similar items not only by handles, but also by slightly holding them by hand;
• Saucers and trays should not be taken for the very edge, but closer to the center.