The thing that makes these unique is the fact that it is a small tea cup with no handle. Having no handle makes it a tea bowl, or SIPPER CUP, the oldest form of tea cups. but it is smaller than a usual tea cup, only holding about 2 ounces. For the most part, tea bowls were no longer made after the mid 1800's, and yet here is one made in the early 1900's by Royal Albert. I have searched diligently on the internet for both of these pieces in the ALBANY GREEN line, and can not find them. Search for yourself. The Creamer is much taller and narrower than the creamer associated with the pattern. Creamer holds one whole pint, 16 oz.

The proper way to hold a sipper cup was two fingers on the bottom and your thumb on top. There is debate as to why handles were added to the English tea cup. One possibility is because the English like their tea very hot, so the handle protected the hands from holding the super hot cup. To bolster that theory, are accounts of pouring the hot tea into the deep saucer to cool it, then drinking it. This was considered uncouth, so the handle was added.