Fairylite Foreign Cup of Knowledge Green Plain

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[[File:Fairylite-box-cup.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Original boxed set of Fairylite Foreign cup, saucer, and instruction sheet for tea leaf reading]]
[[File:Fairylite-box-cup.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Original boxed set of Fairylite Foreign cup, saucer, and instruction sheet for tea leaf reading]]
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[[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite]] was a British importer of Asian-made novelties during the post World War Two era. They dealt in paper goods, playing cards, toys, and other small items. Depending on the nature of the merchandise, the items are either marked "Fairylite Foreign" or "Fairylite Empire Made."  
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[[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite]] was a British importer of Asian-made novelties during the post World War Two era. They dealt in paper goods, playing cards, toys, and other small gift and game products. Depending on the nature of the merchandise, these items are either marked "Fairylite Foreign" or "Fairylite Empire Made."  
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[[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite]] fortune telling tea cups were made in Japan for export to Great Britain during the 1950s, and the pieces were marked "Foreign," to signify non-English origin. The [[:Category:Cup of Knowledge|Cup of Knowledge]] made by Fairylight was an illegal knock-off or patent infringement of the original pattern from England. Specifically, this cup is a close copy of the [[Aynsley Cup of Knowledge Mint Green]].  
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[[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite]] fortune telling tea cups were [[:Category:Made in Japan|made in Japan]] for export to Great Britain during the 1950s, and the pieces were marked "Foreign," to signify non-English origin. The [[:Category:Cup of Knowledge (6) Fairylite Foreign|Cup of Knowledge made by Fairylite]] was an illegal knock-off or patent infringement of the original [[:Category:Cup of Knowledge|Cup of Knowledge pattern]] from [[:Category:Made in England|England]]. Specifically, this cup is a close copy of the [[Aynsley Cup of Knowledge Mint Green|Aynsley Mint Green Cup of Knowledge]].  
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Here's how to tell them apart:
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Both the [[:Category:Cup of Knowledge (6) Fairylite Foreign|Fairlylite Mint Green Cup of Knowledget]]  and the [[B. Shackman Cup of Knowledge Green Plain|B. Shackman Plain Green Cup of Knowledge]] were made at the same pottery [[:Category:Made in Japan|in Japan]] and were intended for export. They can be told apart because British law at the time required the "Foreign" backstamp under the glaze, while the United States, where  [[:Category:B. Shackman|B. Shackman]] only insisted upon a paper label, and once the label the label was washed off,  there was no visible backstamp at all. Thus all of the sets marked "Fairlyite Foreign" went to Great Britain and all of those with paper labels, many of with now present as unmarked, went to the United States.
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* Pieces are backstamped [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|"Fairylite Foreign"]] rather than [[:Category:Aynsley|"Aynsley"]].
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Here's how to tell the [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite]] set apart from others:
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* The colour of the [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite]] clay body is slightly greyish, typical of Japanese ware, but unlike British bone china, which is a bright white.  
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* Pieces are backstamped [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|"Fairylite Foreign"]] rather than [[:Category:Aynsley|"Aynsley"]] or being left with a paper backstamp or no backstamp.  
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* The quality of the transfers of the [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite]] playing cards is muddier than the English originals, with a yellowish tinge inside the cards.
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* The colour of the [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite]] and [[:Category:B. Shackman|B. Shackman]] clay body is slightly greyish, typical of [[:Category:Made in Japan|Japanese]] ware, but unlike British bone china, which is a bright white.  
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* Despite the attempt to closely copy a British tea cup shape, the foot of the [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite]] cup is amusingly Japanese, in a six-petal scallop shape.  
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* The quality of the transfers of the [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite]] and and [[:Category:B. Shackman|B. Shackman]] playing cards is muddier than the English originals, with a yellowish tinge inside the cards.
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* The handle of the [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite]] cup is a simple c-shape with an inward curl; the [[:Category:Aynsley|Aynsley]] cup handle is in the more elaborate [[:Category:Doris|Doris]] pattern
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* Despite the attempt to closely copy a British tea cup shape, the feett of the [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite]] and and [[:Category:B. Shackman|B. Shackman]] cups areamusingly [[:Category:Made in Japan|Japanese]], in a classic six-petal scallop shape.
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* The handle of the [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite]] and the [[:Category:B. Shackman|Shackman]] cups are a simple Cshape with an inward curl; the [[:Category:Aynsley|Aynsley]] cup handle is in the more elaborate [[:Category:Doris|Doris]] pattern.
* Although the  [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite Foreign Mint Green Cup of Knowledge]] has metallic gold pinstriping around the cup and saucer rims, the [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite]] has a mustard-yellow pin-line around the center of the saucer. If it were an [[Aynsley Cup of Knowledge Mint Green]]|Aynsley Mint Green]] cup, that pin-line would also be gold.
* Although the  [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite Foreign Mint Green Cup of Knowledge]] has metallic gold pinstriping around the cup and saucer rims, the [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite]] has a mustard-yellow pin-line around the center of the saucer. If it were an [[Aynsley Cup of Knowledge Mint Green]]|Aynsley Mint Green]] cup, that pin-line would also be gold.
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* The [[Category:Tea Leaf Reading Instruction Sheets and Booklets|instruction booklet]] of the [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite Foreign Cup of Knowledge]] is a straight-out copy of the  [[:Category:Doris|Aynsley Cup of Knowledge]] [[instruction booklet]] of its era. It can only be told apart from the [[B. Shackman Cup of Knowledge Green Plain|Plain Gren B. Shackman Cup of Knowledge]] [[Category:Tea Leaf Reading Instruction Sheets and Booklets|instruction booklet]], which was also [[Made in Japan]], which was made at the same factory for export to the United States rather than Great Britain, because it has the words "Fairylite Foreign" printed at upper left on the front.  
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* The [[:Category:Tea Leaf Reading Instruction Sheets and Booklets|instruction booklet]] of the [[:Category:Fairylite Foreign|Fairylite Foreign Cup of Knowledge]] is a straight-out copy of the  [[:Category:Doris|Aynsley Cup of Knowledge]] [[:Category:Tea Leaf Reading Instruction Sheets and Booklets|instruction booklet]] of its era. It can only be told apart from the [[B. Shackman Cup of Knowledge Green Plain|Plain Green B. Shackman Cup of Knowledge]] [[:Category:Tea Leaf Reading Instruction Sheets and Booklets|instruction booklet]], which was also [[{Category:Made in Japan]],because it has the words "Fairylite Foreign" printed at upper left on the front.  
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DIV-TLR-JFMG  

Revision as of 00:32, 14 February 2021

File:Fairylite-japan-cup-saucer.jpg
Fairylite Foreigh cup and saucer
Interior of the Fairylite Foreign teacup
Fairylite Foreign saucer
Fairylite Foreign backstamp
Original boxed set of Fairylite Foreign cup, saucer, and instruction sheet for tea leaf reading

Fairylite was a British importer of Asian-made novelties during the post World War Two era. They dealt in paper goods, playing cards, toys, and other small gift and game products. Depending on the nature of the merchandise, these items are either marked "Fairylite Foreign" or "Fairylite Empire Made."

Fairylite fortune telling tea cups were made in Japan for export to Great Britain during the 1950s, and the pieces were marked "Foreign," to signify non-English origin. The Cup of Knowledge made by Fairylite was an illegal knock-off or patent infringement of the original Cup of Knowledge pattern from England. Specifically, this cup is a close copy of the Aynsley Mint Green Cup of Knowledge.

Both the Fairlylite Mint Green Cup of Knowledget and the B. Shackman Plain Green Cup of Knowledge were made at the same pottery in Japan and were intended for export. They can be told apart because British law at the time required the "Foreign" backstamp under the glaze, while the United States, where B. Shackman only insisted upon a paper label, and once the label the label was washed off, there was no visible backstamp at all. Thus all of the sets marked "Fairlyite Foreign" went to Great Britain and all of those with paper labels, many of with now present as unmarked, went to the United States.

Here's how to tell the Fairylite set apart from others:

  • The colour of the Fairylite and B. Shackman clay body is slightly greyish, typical of Japanese ware, but unlike British bone china, which is a bright white.
  • The quality of the transfers of the Fairylite and and B. Shackman playing cards is muddier than the English originals, with a yellowish tinge inside the cards.
  • Despite the attempt to closely copy a British tea cup shape, the feett of the Fairylite and and B. Shackman cups areamusingly Japanese, in a classic six-petal scallop shape.
  • The handle of the Fairylite and the Shackman cups are a simple Cshape with an inward curl; the Aynsley cup handle is in the more elaborate Doris pattern.

DIV-TLR-JFMG

catherine yronwode
curator, historian, and docent
The Mystic Tea Room

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