Tea Service Accessories

I have adored tea for just about as long as I’ve been alive. Certainly from the very first cup that I had. Needless to say it goes along that the idea of tea service, and using it as a part of O/our D/s relationship is definitely appealing to me. In fact, ritual as a whole is something I am highly interested in, but have not really experienced much of yet.

Master is also highly interested in ritual, although it really is something difficult to do effectively in a long distance relationship. However, I have been researching different types of proper tea service in the past few days, and Master and I are both interested in it.

It’s unusual, today, for girls to inherit anything like China or crystal or linens or collectibles, because of the way in which our society is structured. My mother, however, did start gathering all that kind of thing together to eventually give me once I was born; however, during her divorce with my father my father took it all, so I have always planned on getting together what I can, piece by piece, over a span of years.

I brought it over to show my grandmother, and after I got it out she went over and got under her china cabinet, and came up with a saucer that matched my teapot practically exactly! Then, it turns out, she has the entire set (teapot, teacups, saucers, dinner plates, serving platter, salt and pepper shakers, cream and sugar dishes, candy tray) and said I could have it, because it had bad memories for her!

So, now, at only twenty and having spent my whole life on planning on gathering household things in pieces whenever I could, I find myself with an entire set of china. I am terribly excited, even though I won’t be able to really use it for a year or two more, until I’m done with school. It makes me feel like a much better…I don’t know how to say it. It makes me feel in a much better position for starting my life with Master when W/we finally are able. With the uncertain economic times, it was never very likely that Master and I would be able to have something nice and mostly useless, like a set of china.

I think there’s some contentness in the idea simply because it is something  sort of, I don’t know, civilized, and reminds me of a time where my wanting to be a housewife and mother wouldn’t have been so frowned upon. It makes me feel like W/we’ll still be able to have something nice, even while most likely putting all O/our finances into the necessities of life.

So, here is a picture of the teapot along with a teacup and saucer! The teapot is the one I bought, the cup and saucer are from my grandmothers set.

I think it’s simple, but elegent. Anyway, I’m excited.

Since I didn’t know that I was going to stumble into an entire set of china, I also picked up three Japanese-style teacups. They don’t match my teapot, by any means, but I think they’re absolutely gorgeous.

So, now I have an entire set of traditionally styled china, and I have the beginnings of a nice blue and white set as well! Not bad, for being only 20. I need linens and such, next. But there’s time, I’m not in a hurry; I still have just over a year of school, if I don’t hurry through it.

Master also wants me to write about tea service in general, the ins and out, but for now I shall leave this entry as it is, and write one later, or tomorrow, about English and Japanese tea service. Perhaps, if I feel incredibly driven, I’ll even include High Tea.

Oh, my, I’m so excited!

~ by beauteousthrall on July 31, 2009.