The Gamblers Breakfast Set - Eight Cube Egg Cups and Salt Cellar

Code: CH1/23

This most unusual French porcelain set of egg cups on a tray has eight square-form egg cups - rather egg cubes! - embossed with the four playing card suits in red and black: diamonds, hearts, spades and clubs. Perfect for the successful poker player's breakfast; any card player would surely be delighted to receive a vintage gift such as this set - or even splash out on a present for themselves.

Together with a central salt cellar the egg cups sit perfectly on the square white porcelain 'tray', which has a fine gilt line around the sides and the four tiny card suit motifs repeated on the moulded tray handles. We have never seen a set in this style before; they appear to be in perfect vintage condition with some of the motifs just showing some slight wear as would be expected for their age. A very gorgeously quirky set indeed.

They have the appearance and style of anywhere from Art Deco to the 'fifties - and when we bought them from a lovely French lady we even spotted a bit of egg on them - which she graciously gave to us as a "cadeau" (gift) !! (We have given them a nice wash....). The set was used in her Café for many years - they would run all-night games of 'Belotte', a very popular French card game - and towards morning she would often bring out eggs, ham and croissants for the bleary players, together with pots of strong coffee to keep them awake. The porcelain is unmarked but appears to be high of a high quality make and is probably Limoges porcelain.