What to do with a beautiful 100 year old teaset?

[todaysthedays]

I’ve inherited a beautiful hand-painted teaset that was a wedding gift to my grandmother (who died very young, long before I was born). It’s of huge sentimental value and even as a child, it was something I one day hoped would be passed to me. So now it’s here and I’m trying to think of something lovely to do with it. Our home is quite contemporary in style so I’m not really a display cabinet sort of person but equally I don’t want to keep it stashed away in a cupboard somewhere. I’m trying to think of something lovely to do with it.

Would be grateful if anyone had any ‘lightbulb’ ideas!

I would take a lovely photo of it in a good light, arranged on a pretty table cloth. Get the photo printed, canvas style, and put it on a sutable wall. Then pack the teaset safely. You can enjoy the picture but keep the tea set safe.

I would make a point of using it, not every day, but periodically, by having a tea party for friends or family.

Definitely use it! We have similar and use the plates and cups for every birthday and Christmas cake. We did this even when the children were small and nothing ever broke.

The tea cups are a bit small for every day use - but they are the perfect size for mousse-type puddings. So I use them when I make a fruit fool or chocolate mousse. Not hugely often - but a couple of times a year.

@endofthelinefinally what a beautiful idea, I may pinch this for some valuable things I don’t like to have out. Thanks.

I would use it on very special days, do you know the date of this ancestors birth? I would make tea and think about all the women and especially her who had preceded me. We have the Qingming festival where our ancestors are remembered and graves visited, it could be a very British version.

I agree, and even better if you can make a new tradition. Tea party on her wedding anniversary? Or her birthday? Invite all the younger family members so that they develop the same memories and attachment to it that you had.

You will have to confront the idea that things might get broken if they are used but that's part of their charm.

Pick a few occasions per year when you make a point of using it - birthdays/Christmas/whatever is important to you. It will become a tradition and even if you’re not looking at it every day it will be part of your life.

Or, get a carpenter to create a glazed box type display shelf for it? If you would prefer to admire it on a daily basis. If that was me I would stop “seeing” it though 🤣
I have a similar situation but more like a couple of sets that are not as special as yours but I don’t want them to languish unused in a cupboard. So I get them out when family visits, Christmas etc and I really like that.

One day though I’ll probably pass them on to my adult DC (only if they want them) when they’ve got their own permanent homes.

While I was posting I see other pp had similar ideas about making it a tradition!

Do you want to use it?

I inherited various things from the family which had been kept safe for decades and I use them, they might/will get broken but unless we look to selling them they just become at best ornaments.

So I use them. In day to day life, why not have nice things out and in use all the time?

But you run the risk of them breaking. It's a gamble.

Ooh, there’s some nice ideas here. I like the idea of a photo on canvas too!

But yes, I think I probably do need to use it for special occasions. As it happens, coincidentally both my grandmother and my mum died on the same day (just 60+ years apart - my grandmother died when my mum was just 16 years old. We’ve always tried to do something nice that day, just to remember mum and the grandma we never knew. So actually that could be a good start.