Tranquil. Ceremonial. Celebratory.
Even the most devoted bean collectors have taken to a new craze for tea, making its accouterments the goods to lust for.
Tea is hot but silver (old or modern) makes it hotter, whether it’s sterling, plate or pewter.
Designs of tea accessories run the gamut from clean and modern lines to curvy and ornate antiques.
Even vintage hotelware is being reintroduced to deliver history to any room in the house, and antique lemon forks and filigree tongs can be found in antiques shops and some specialty stores.
Perhaps Alice in Wonderland types may favor Nick Munro’s fanciful tea strainer shaped like a starfish. The Thin Man crowd may love Calvin Klein’s sleek collection, spare and clean, devoid of anything considered unnecessary.
The ritual goes on. For centuries, little girls have giggled over their Lilliputian tea sets and queens have passed their finery down for generations. It just goes to show that tea time is anytime.
