In addition, the Pemberton inventory lists a silver tea pot and "1 pr. Tea Tongs & Strainer," items that were undoubtedly used with the ceramic sets.[48]

Tea sets were even available for the youngest hostess, and the "several compleat Tea-table Sets of Children's cream-colored [ceramic] Toys" mentioned in a Boston advertisement of 1771 no doubt added a note of luxury to make-believe tea parties during playtime.[49] The pieces in children's tea sets, such as the ones pictured from a child's set of Chinese export porcelain (fig. 6), usually were like those of regular sets and differed only in size. Little Miss Livingston must have been happy, indeed, when her uncle wrote[50] that he had sent

Tea Drinking in 18th-Century America: Its Etiquette and Equipage — Part 18

... a compleat tea-apparatus for her Baby [doll]. Her Doll may now invite her Cousins Doll to tea, & parade her teatable in form. This must be no small gratification to her. It would be fortunate if happiness were always attainable with equal ease.

Tea Drinking in 18th-Century America: Its Etiquette and Equipage — Part 18

The pieces of tea equipage could be purchased individually. For instance, teacups and saucers, which are differentiated in advertisements from both coffee and chocolate cups, regularly appear in lists of ceramic wares offered for sale, such as "very handsome Setts of blue and white China Tea-Cups and Saucers," or "enamell'd, pencill'd and gilt (fig. 12), red and white, blue and white, enamell'd and scallop'd (fig. 13), teacups and saucers."[51] These adjectives used by 18th-century salesmen usually referred to the types and the colors of the decorations that were painted on the pieces. "Enameled" most likely meant that the decorations were painted over the glaze, and "penciled" may have implied motifs painted with a fine black line of pencil-like appearance, while "gilt," "red and white," and "blue and white" were the colors and types of the decoration. Blue and white china was, perhaps, the most popular type of teaware, for it regularly appears in newspaper advertisements and inventories and among sherds from colonial sites (fig. 7).

Tea Drinking in 18th-Century America: Its Etiquette and Equipage — Part 18

[Illustration: Figure 12.--Cup and saucer of Chinese export porcelain with scalloped edges and fluting. The painted decoration of black floral design on the side of the cup is touched with gold; the borders are of intersecting black vines and ribbons. (_USNM 284499; Smithsonian photo 45141-D._)]