What is a Sammeltasse?
I met my friend Linda when we were both stationed in Germany. (Our husbands were in the Army.) Her grandmother emigrated to the US from Germany in the 1920’s, and Linda has a special affinity for the country.
At a social event in her home one evening, she showed me her Sammeltassen, a collection of teacups/saucers/dessert plates of all different patterns. (In German, literally, sammel=collection, tassen=cups.).
When I was growing up, we had a mad assortment of dishes, but it wasn’t on purpose! I was charmed by the idea that people might intentionally purchase single place settings in various patterns, for sheer aesthetic enjoyment of the beauty of different china and ceramic designs.
Linda’s late grandmother started the collection with German porcelain, and Linda added to it in her travels around Germany and abroad in Europe. On that night, we spread them all out on the table, and each guest chose the pattern on which their coffee and dessert was served.
Some years later, I encountered a mention of a similar concept in the Bible. In the book of Esther, the King’s banquet is described as a lavish affair, with fine hangings, luxurious furniture, mosaic floors, and the drinks were served in “golden vessels of various kinds.” Cool. Apparently in ancient kingdoms diversity was in, uniformity was out. At least as regards the household appointments.
But that’s not all the Bible has to say about sammeltassen. In his letter to Timothy, Paul uses sammeltassen imagery to teach a lesson about the character that God desires in us: “Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor (yes, those would be the chamber pots)…be a vessel for honor, set apart and useful to the Lord…flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.”
Of course I started my own collection, and Linda’s and my sammeltassen have inspired this website: a place to practice the pursuit of righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Let each unique teacup encountered in this space provide inspiration to be a vessel of honor.
Note: Much appreciation to Linda McMahon for sharing her collection of cups. For pictures of her collection, click on the link “Linda’s Sammeltassen” on the navigation bar. All are presented in honor of her Oma, Mathilda Baumann, originally from Weinheim, Deutschland.
Here is one of my favorites from Linda’s collection:
