Description

This is a an antique or at least vintage Thomas Bavaria demitasse espresso mocha cup and saucer. The white porcelain body is Thomas Bavaria and then it was hand painted elsewhere I believe. This was gifted to me by my German grandmother who said it was her mother's. It was originally part of a much larger set that was divided among children and then grandchildren. The cup and saucer bear a glossy black and gold painted design. There is a gold painted laurel leaf design in a wheel spoke pattern. I believe that this design would be called French Empire style. The cup measures approximately 3" across including the handle. The top opening is approximately 2 1/4" across. The cup tapers to a foot that is approximately 1 3/8" across. It is approximately 2 3/8" tall. The saucer is approximately 4 5/8" across and 1 1/2" tall. Inside the cup is a black "squiggle". I cannot tell if it is a leaf or a flower or a tree. It is under the glaze. The cup and the saucer are marked on the underside. There is a gold parallelogram with a crest outline in black and Bavaria Munchen in black. This gold mark covers the traditional Thomas Bavaria mark as best as I can make out. The Thomas mark has Bavaria at the bottom, which puts it between 1908 and 1939. I included a photo of the Thomas Bavaria mark that I believe is under the gold mark. In addition, the pieces are marked. Handmalerei-- hand painted. Often blanks of one company were used by another to do hand painting. From my grandmother's story, this cup is on the early side of those dates--no later than the early 1920s. I never used the cup. It was displayed in a cabinet with other demitasse cups. I could not see any cracks, chips, or repairs. There is a small scratch with minimal to no black loss on the top edge of the cup right by the handle. I was unable to get a photo of it. I only noticed this by touch. It is very hard to see. It has a clear ring. I am downsizing and am selling most everything. Non-smoking household. I have a second set in blue that I am listing separately.