1
Coffee cup and saucer by Fornasetti, c1950, £1,590 for set of six, Holly Johnson.
01260 253110; hollyjohnsonantiques.com
2
Russian silver gilt and enamel cup and saucer, c1970, £1,150, AC Silver.
01912 402645; acsilver.co.uk
3
'Butterfly Bloom' teacup and saucer, £37, Wedgwood.
01782 282651; wedgwood.co.uk
4
'1948' cup and saucer, £48, Jonathan Adler.
020 7589 9563; uk.jonathanalder.com
5
Floral encrusted cup and saucer, c1870, £395, K&M Antiques at Grays.
020 7629 7034; graysantiques.com
6
Floral cup and saucer by Nordal, £13, Amara.
0800 587 7645; amara.com
7
Meissen teacup and saucer, c1880, £1,100, Serhat Ahmet at Grays.
020 7493 9344; serhatahmet.com
8
'Halo' teacup and saucer, £19.75, Denby.
01773 740899; denby.co.uk
9
'Oscillate Onyx' teacup, £35, and saucer, £20, both Royal Crown Derby.
01332 712833; royalcrownderby.co.uk
10
'Papilio' cup and saucer, £16, Harlequin.
0845 123 6815; harlequin.uk.com
A descendant of the Chinese tea bowl, which first arrived on British shores in the 17th century, along with the tea to go in it, the teacup and saucer remains the last word in teatime elegance.
Unlike the workaday, teabag-ready mug, the teacup and saucer speaks of a tea-drinking ritual that requires paraphernalia and time enough for a top-up, resulting in an altogether more enjoyable and refined tea-drinking experience.
Browse these ten pretty pairs of teacups and saucers for ideas for your own summer afternoon tea.