Two Cups in Faience and Porcelain, from the Convent of Jesus at Setúbal: 16th century

The idea of using tiny bowls as cups came from China, where little bowls had always been used to drink tea. From the 16th century, both tea and the little cups were imported from China. Soon, the cups were also used to drink chocolate, another Age of Exploration import, from the New World.

The little porcelain bowls were imitated by European potters in Faience ware, and these are examples of little cups in European Faience, and Chinese porcelain, both in use in the Convent in the 16th century.

The little tea bowls are the direct ancestor of modern English and European tea-cups.