I had no idea how many varieties of wheat designs were produced in the 40s-60s in the US! This is the 4th wheat design pattern in my collection, and I still have one more! Do you wonder what made the wheat design so popular during that time? I thought perhaps it was related to the times: the depression, the war, the importance of wheat, and in a sense, that is true. I discovered wheat is a symbol of love and prosperity, home and hearth, harvest and hope, spring and birth, so no wonder everyone hopped on the wheat dinnerware wagon.
Today’s tea is Steven Smith Teamaker’s No. 8 Mao Feng Shui full leaf green tea. I am not really a fan of green tea overall, but I enjoy a cup now and then. The spring harvested Mao Feng Shui is from Zhejiang China, and slightly sweet, with a vegetative taste and aroma. It is mild, and high in antioxidants, producing a pale green brew and the leaves are a green reminiscent to me of spinach–though do not at all taste like spinach, which I do love so that would not likely be a turn-off for me.
In Smith’s numerology, they note No. 8 is
the perfect alignment of two circles, symbolizing the harmonious balance of green tea and whimsy.
I don’t know about the tea and whimsy part, but the cup certainly gives me a sense of whimsy (fleur-de-lis and New Orleans) married with the solidity of wheat: love and hope.
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Suzassippi's Lottabusha County Chronicles 
My mother had a set of wheat cups in the 1950s. They would come in a carton of oatmeal and you could collect them. I am sure they were not worth much, but they were pretty. They were a different design than the one in this post.
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While looking for this design, I found several items that discussed the variety of wheat dishes, including it mentioned one that came in oatmeal. I will have to see if I can find that one again.
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My grandmother had some very pretty emerald green dishes – little bowls – that came in oatmeal. I had forgotten about them. The design was similar to those found on Depression or Carnival glass. I always thought it was a treat to eat ice cream out of them when we visited.
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Oh, how cool! I think my grandmother had a set of bowls that came from something–maybe oatmeal. My sister has those.
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Thanks to you I’m going to be looking at cups a little differently. I’ve always gone to the fine china types and turned them over looking for the name Noritake, Havilland, Lenox, etc. Now I’m looking at pottery, too.
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Most of mine have always been ceramic, but I also appreciate the “fancy” ones. 🙂
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Wheat certainly was an appropriate motif for that time period and the designs are soothing, too. When the thrift stores open back up, sigh, I will be more aware of the wheat motif. I generally like green teas; one with whimsy in a vintage cup has to be a pleasing combination. The leaves do look like chopped spinach!
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I have to say this has me itching to go look for tea cups again. 🙂
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