Embroidered Tea Cup

Katie of The Constant Gatherer recently highlighted some beautiful works of art by London-based designer, Claire Coles. Her stitched vintage wallpaper pieces are amazing, and these embroidered teacups leave me breathless.

Claire’s collection of porcelain slip cast tea sets evoke a reminiscence to times forgotten, exploring the loss of the British tradition ‘afternoon tea’. Each cup and saucer is either intricately hand embroidered or inlaid with patterns of doilies and flocked wallpaper. It appears as if these patterns have grown into the surface of the porcelain causing the natural shape of the cup and saucer to distort, The loose stitching and faded traces of patterns create an ethereal and poignant quality of decay within each piece.