It’s a sunny Saturday morning and we continue the egg cup tour.
On the left, another chick emerging from an egg – this time in brownish palette. This one looks a little threatening!
On the right, a different vision of a chick emerging from an egg. A sweet-faced yellow chick. This egg cup was made in Portugal and it’s fairly easy to find on eBay.
These egg cups live on the little shelf hanging on the wall in the den, partly because the guy on the left is way too tall for the cubbies.
Left: a gentleman egg cup. The head can be removed in order to eat a soft boiled egg in the cup. Originally part of a set. I rarely see it anymore. The set consists of two gentlemen, one head being a salt shaker, the other, a pepper shaker. For some reason, mine does not have any holes in the hat for shaking salt/pepper. Made by Arbalt in Occupied Japan, the period of time when American troops occupied Japan in 1947-1952, which makes it fairly valuable in the world of figural egg cups.
Center: a goose I found in a local antique shop. I love this egg cup. Beautifully painted, it’s marked “Sarreguemines France A.” It has crazing and a couple of faint cracks. When I was shipping egg cups to Country Living magazine, I didn’t include this one – the extended neck and head are too fragile.
Right: another one of my favorites, a little cherub wearing a ruffle, holding onto an egg cup. I adore this one. I did happen to see one like it on eBay yesterday.
On the left: Humpty Dumpty, made by Mansell (I think it’s from England.) I remember really wanting this cup. Very happy when I finally found one.
On the right: a pair of wooden cups that were given to me by a reader of this blog. Each of them has a wooden egg that has holes in the top for shaking salt and/or pepper. I see them for sale on eBay, but they are invariably missing the egg salt/pepper shakers.
I usually display Humpty with this egg that Don found when he was filming in Prague.
All of these egg cups are vintage.
More on Monday, of course.
You can tell that I’ve been exploring what’s available on eBay. I do this once a year when my curiosity is piqued because I’m once again thinking about the egg cup tour. Many of my figural cups are almost impossible to find nowadays, but I’m happy to say that a good number show up at this time of year. I saw the ‘chicks on a teeter-totter’ cup yesterday and I’ve also seen “egg cup houses with bunnies peeking around the corner,” a few of which I’ve shared with you. So if you’re looking for sweet little vintage figural egg cups, you can definitely find them.
Alright, my friends. Time to get that second cup of coffee!
Stay safe.
Happy Saturday.
Kay in SE Wisconsin says
Don’t know how you can pick a favorite among all the pretty cups. That goose! Must have been taken care of so carefully through the years for that long neck to still in intact. You must be enjoying the sun we had yesterday. It was heavenly! Not a cloud in the sky. Cloudy today but high fifties.
So many green things are coming up in the garden already that I’m starting to listen for the peepers too. The problem with these early springs is everything is finished before September, even the fall flowers. We’ve had that happen the past two summers. I suppose we should get used to it.
Oh, that puzzle you posted yesterday was a beautiful depiction of a place I spent a lot of time in on our first trip there back in 2011. It was the place where Dean and I met at the end of the day after his business meetings and my wanderings and just a couple blocks from where we stayed. Where did you find it? I’d love to get it for my sister-in-law who is a puzzle fanatic.
Take care,
Kay
Claudia says
You can order it online at Amazon. Just search for “Galison – Springtime in Paris.”
We have spent a great deal of time there and I miss it so much! Our hotel was about 4 blocks away.
Stay safe, Kay.
Vicki says
Well, they’re all so unique-different; what a collection of marvelous egg cups! Thanx again for sharing, Claudia.
I was just looking at a ‘weather’ article and it looks like you might be heading into some wintry weather but maybe it won’t last long (first day of spring on Tues too; so, bah-humbug with a return of the cold!).
Claudia says
Not really wintry here, just colder than it’s been – high forties, low fifties. No snow.
Thanks, Vicki.
Stay safe.
kathy in iowa says
the goose is my favorite of today’s egg cups, but all of them are sweet and have such pretty colors. thanks for the tour.
i’m thinking you told us before, but would you please tell us again what it was that don was filming in prague? thank you.
the town crier (blue jay) was my alarm clock this morning. i think he was telling me to wake up and get their food out on the deck pronto so that’s what i did. picked up the backyard for having ten deer, including two small young ones, there for several minutes last night (a beautiful sight, to be sure). took care of some flowers and with other tasks done, i am taking a break and hope to read a lot in “war and peace” today. just as in your photos, it’s a sunny day here, but windy. still good for a drive. also, my great-niece is a teenager as of today … doesn’t seem possible, but of course it is.
my taxes are done and were electronically filed yesterday by a professional tax preparer. he said there’s no need for me to file any amended taxes because that late 2021 refund (received in february 2023) was reported to both the irs and the state of iowa yesterday as it was supposed to be (i like … need? … things simple). i am relieved, glad.
hope you, don and everyone else have a weekend full of gladness. stay safe.
kathy
Claudia says
He filmed The Poisoner’s Handbook for PBS. He played the lead.
Thanks, Kathy.
Stay safe.
Jenny says
I’m just curious, do you ever eat soft-boiled eggs in any of the egg cups? I love eggs prepared in many different ways but have never had a soft-boiled egg! Your photos are making me want to try one – although I think it would taste best in a charming egg cup. :)
Claudia says
I don’t use these egg cups at all. They’re for display. But I do think I ate soft-boiled eggs in the egg cup from my childhood.
Stay safe, Jenny.
kaye says
Thank you for taking the time to display and post your charming egg cups. It really does make my heart happy.
Wishing you blue skies,
Kaye
Claudia says
You’re welcome!
Stay safe, Kaye.
Vicki says
Kaye’s got it right; apropos description; your egg cups DO make for a happy heart, Claudia; they are delightful and always make me smile, not just at Easter (I even like seeing them photographed inside their amazingly-perfect cabinet under the stairs!).
As for those smiles, like peals of laughter, they make us feel good!! So, thanks for spreading the joy, Claudia! (You’re doing a ‘public service’ for your readers!)
(If the minimalists of the world don’t ‘get’ that our ‘material’ collections make our souls shine and our hearts swell with every good vibe; well, they can just take it somewhere else [because life ain’t always easy, and a daily dose of ‘happy is just what the doctor ordered!].)
Claudia says
Exactly!
Thanks so much, Vicki!
Stay safe.
Barrie says
Humpty Dumpty is pretty cute! It’s fun that some of your egg cups are from different countries. Also interesting to have one from Occupied Japan, another part of history. Weatherwise, we are having beautiful, clear skies. We had lots of wind the last two days, calm now. Thanks for the great egg cup show!
Claudia says
Most of them are from Japan – I only have a few from the USA and even the Fanny Farmer egg cups were made in Japan.
Stay safe, Barrie.
Wendy T says
What a collection of egg cups, each with a story you remember…impressive (the cups and the memory!).
Clear blue skies with moderate temps for a week or so. I’m enjoying the dry weather.
Claudia says
Enjoy the weather, Wendy. We have yet more rain coming next week.
Stay safe.
Eve says
Your Japanese egg cup-story fascinates me. Years ago in business grad school I was assigned to a project presentation about “statistical process control.” A seemingly boring topic that led to my discovery of America’s rebuilding of Japan’s post-war industry, including the role of W. Edwards Deming for whom The Deming Prize is named. The rest, as they say, is history. Your beautiful cup and post about it reminded me of all that!
Claudia says
Glad to have jogged your memory, Eve!
Stay safe.
jeanie says
They’re all wonderful but I am especially fond of the two gentleman cups! What a fun collection, Claudia. And a never-ending search is always a plus!
Claudia says
Plus, they’re reasonably priced – except for rare ones like the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs cups!
Stay safe, Jeanie.
Dawn Pinnataro says
Heaven….I am in heaven…. I so love your egg cup review !!!
Dawn P.
Claudia says
Thank you, Dawn!
Stay safe.