Category:Poetry on Cups and Saucers

From Mystic Tea Room

The Aynsley Nelros Cup of Fortune with poetry on the exterior

"Learn How to Tell Tea Cup Fortunes" by S.E.M. Putnam contains tea leaf reading poetry

Gypsy Tea Shop, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, matchbook cover, 1930s; the word "Gypsy" (deried from "Egyptian") is a slur for the Romani People that was also a common use with to describe fortune tellers of any ethnicity in the 20th century. Free tea leaf readings were offered with meals.

The English cultural heritage of reciting enchantments — sorcery in the form of a specific style of sing-song rhyme — persists in tea cup and tea leaf poetry to this day. Sometimes the verses are part of the exterior decoration on the cup or saucer, sometimes they advertise tea leaf reading services, and sometimes they are included in books about how to do a tea leaf reading.

Poetry on Tea Cups and Saucers

Woulds’t learn thy future with thy tea?
This magic cup will show it thee
— The Nelros Cup of Fortune, cup exterior, 1904
— The Nelros Cup of Fortune Commemorative, saucer, 2018

Many curious things I see
While telling fortunes in your tea
— Paragon Omens and Signs, cup interior, 1930s

Woulds’t thy fortune like to see?
Perchance this cup will show it thee
— Jon Anton Taltos Fortune Telling Cup, cup exterior, 1975
— All subsequent Taltos and Zarka copies, 1980s

Maybe the leaves will disclose to thee
The future thous't would wish to see
— Morley House Tea Leaf Reading Tea Cup, cup exterior, 1992

Poetry in Books on Tasseomancy

Pour your tea and drink it up
Then read your fortune in the cup
— Genevieve Winsatt, "Chinese Fortune-Telling Teacup", 1929

First, wish your heart's desire, then pour the golden tea
Find your fortune in the cup, your happiness to be
— S. E. M. Putnam, "Learn How to Tell Tea Cup Fortunes", 1930s

After a cheery tea-time, linger o'er the tea;
Turn a cup to find the luck coming to you or me
— S. E. M. Putnam, "Learn How to Tell Tea Cup Fortunes", 1930s

A cup of tea for you and me
Is restful-like as it can be
— Muriel, "The Muriel Method of Tea-Leaf Reading", 1930s

Poetry in Advertisements for Tea Leaf Readers

The Gypsy from the leaves of Tea
Will tell what was and is to be
— Advertisement for the Gypsy Tea Shop, New York City, NY., 1930s

Your Fortune free
From leaves of tea
— Advertisement for the Gypsy Tea Shop, Pittsburgh, PA., 1930s

A dainty lunch, a cup of tea,
Your future told, that you might see
Your fortune in the grounds of tea
— Advertisement for the Egyptian Tea Room, Kansas City, MO., 1930s