One reason there are so many different styles of tea leaf reading cups is that their exterior decorations were made to match what were at the time popular dinnerware sets. Porcelain and earthenware dinner sets were often sold in place settings of six; adding a couple of extra tea leaf cups to match one's set enabled the lady of the house to read the cups of her friends. Because tea leaf reading is not a daily practice, these cups received less use and are often found in excellent condition despite their age. 

The two image collections shown in this newsletter BARELY SCRATCH THE SURFACE of the many antique divination tea cups we offer in the shop. The Taltos Cup, the three varieties of Red Rose Cups, the Zarka Cup, the Jane Lyle Cup, the Aynsley Black Feather, the Paragon Yellow Embossed, the Ucagco Three-Legged Cup -- the list is long and splendid. If you want to know more, please see the Lucky Mojo catalogue page on Divination Tools, in the Tea Cup section:

For more information on how to read these specially marked cups, please consult "The Black Folder" book for the article "Tea Leaf Reading: A Brief Introduction" by catherine yronwode.