Here we have an antique hand painted porcelain mustache cup with an ornate embossed design of a heart with 2 doves above 2 cherubs kissing. It has Victorian style/gold accents.
Mustaches flourished among men throughout the Victorian era. They had dyed, stiff, & curled mustaches with every hair held in place by gobs of wax. Their mustaches often drooped into the tea or coffee cup when they were drinking causing them to drip their colorful dyes & melt the waxes into their drink. Mustache cups were invented in 1860's in England by a British potter named Harvey Adams. They were called "Moustache Cups". The invention sported a ledge, called a mustache guard, across the cup. The guard had one semi-circular opening against the side of the cup. As the gentlemen sipped through the opening, their mustaches rested safe & dry on the mustache guard. They could enjoy their favorite hot beverage peacefully.
This mustache cup measures approximately 3 1/16" (7.8 cm) tall & 4 3/8" (11.1 cm) wide including the handle.