A few weeks back Mr. Butter and I were out thrifting and I heard my favorite exclamation: “Hey Aud, come here…”  I could see a demitasse cup and saucer in his hands, but they looked modern to me, not vintage so walked over to him ready to be the vintage police and move on to the next item.  The cup and saucer was gorgeous, to be sure: white exterior with a black graphic that reminded me of Esteri Tomula’s work, and a jewel-tone interior.  But vintage?

Much to my surprise (and Mr. Butter’s happiness), these cups and saucers were most definitely vintage, and were made by British ceramicist, Susie Cooper, c. 1958.  The pattern, called “Black Fruits” is delicate, colorful, and complex and Mr. Butter and I are so happy we found them ‘in the wild’ as we thrifters say.  The combination of the black, sketched design and the jewel-toned interiors make this set look decidedly contemporary, even though it is over 50 years old!