Princess House Custard Cups — Pair of Americana Ladybug & Pinwheel Ceramic Dessert Cups

Some pieces are pure summer, and this little pair is exactly that. Two Princess House custard cups, sold together, each wearing its own playful take on a red-white-and-blue theme. One is dotted with plump little ladybugs marching beneath a navy-and-white checkerboard band and a bright red rim. The other turns like a breeze made visible — cornflower-blue pinwheels spinning between crisp candy-stripe rings of red and blue. They were never meant to match exactly; they were meant to keep each other company, and they do it beautifully.

Princess House built its name in the American home from the 1970s onward, its wares carried parlor to parlor at friendly in-home parties. This whimsical ceramic line leans away from the company's better-known crystal and toward something sunnier — the kind of cheerful, unfussy kitchenware that turns a weeknight pudding or a scoop of berries into a small occasion. Turn either cup over and you'll find the tidy blue backstamp: "Princess House Exclusive, Made in China." Use them as they were intended — for custard, mousse, ice cream, or a soft-boiled egg — or let them retire to lighter duty holding paper clips, a ring or two, a votive, or a few sprigs of something green on a windowsill. At about three and a half inches each way, they're the useful little size that always finds a job. They came to us from a Hobbsville, North Carolina estate, among the cheerful everyday things a collector kept close at hand.

• Maker: Princess House (marked "Princess House Exclusive — Made in China")
• Pair of ceramic custard/dessert cups, sold together
• Motifs: red ladybugs with navy checkerboard band + blue pinwheels with red-and-blue stripes
• Approx. 3.5" diameter x 3.5" high each
• Likely 1990s
• Came to us from a Hobbsville, North Carolina estate
• Condition: Excellent — both cups bright and glossy, no chips, cracks, or crazing; ready to use or display