Kathie Winkle Teacup Saucers and Dinner Plates!

Our friends J&R piqued my interest recently about vintage tableware designed by Kathie Winkle. Working for the Broadhurst pottery company, she started her career as a painter and eventually went on to design over one hundred patterns between 1958 to 1978.

I came upon some teacups and saucers in the pastel green and blue Corinth pattern at my local Salvation Army thrift store. Believe it or not, it was near the end of a 50% off day, and nobody picked these beauties up! I scooped up each teacup for a dollar, and each saucer for 50 cents.

These Broadhurst lines of tableware included dinner plates, side plates, teacups, saucers, bowls, and teapots. Each line used the same basic ceramic foundation pieces, had a black and white pattern printed on them, and were hand painted before glazing. The handpainted finish is so charming, as some of the "imperfections" give each piece individuality.

I am really glad I decided to buy them, because they were a bit of a mystery when I first saw them. You see, the teacups are only embossed with "ENGLAND" on the underside, and the saucers read "Ironstone Broadhurst Staffordshire England Handpainted Underglaze, Colour Detergent and Dishwasher Proof". No mention of Kathie Winkle, but I suspect this is because the size of a saucer plate doesn't allow room for her swirly signature. I do know that Corinth is a KW design however, because it appears in The Designs of Kathie Winkle book.

A few days later, I found a couple more Kathie Winkle pieces at a Value Village. This time, there was no mistaking what I was looking at - the distinctive Kathie Winkle signature was noted on the back of the plates, and I picked the two up for $3.50.

Now that I've had time to admire these pieces, I like them even more than when I first saw them! My main problem is that I have only two teacups, five saucers, and two dinnerplates. It's definitely not enough to make a set, so I'll have to think of something to do with them... Any suggestions?

Vintage Teacup and Saucer Made in Occupied Japan

Do you know that feeling when you pick up an unknown item and your heart skips a beat because you realize it's something special? I was at a new-to-me thrift store that supports single mums called Aunt Leah's. During my explorations, I came upon a cabinet full of vintage tea cups and saucers.

Most of the pieces had beautiful patterns but didn't stand out to me. There was a plain, green coloured set that I picked up to have a closer look at. As soon as I felt the lightweight, thin walls of the tea cup and saucer, I knew I had to have it! The colour almost seemed translucent in the light.


Better yet, I noticed the stamp on the bottom of the teacup read "Kaolin China Made in Occupied Japan". I understand that these pieces were manufacturered between 1944-1952 and are very collectable. Post WWII, consumers shunned Japanese products and often refused to purchase items thought to contribute to the enemy's coffers. The note assured customers that foreign entities now occupied Japan, essentially giving buyers a feel-good reason to purchase these high quality goods.


I love the little history lesson that I got from this $1 teacup and saucer set. I also really appreciate the fact that someone took care of this little set for around 60 years and it's still in such great condition. There is a bit of nostalgia that I feel when recognizing that many of our consumer products today aren't exactly built to last or be cherished for decades. I'm glad to say I get a kick out of the simple pleasure of finding someone's little treasure.