9 Responses to “Instant Coffee Girl”

  1. Allee Willis

    My young adult years were spent as very good friends with instant coffee. Although at first glance this girl is a little too prim and proper for my tastes there’s no question I would have snapped her up INSTANTLY as I’ve always put anything I possibly could into vintage containers. But upon studying her I think it’s Kitsch that such a prim and proper lass with little flowers on her dress would be thanking the Lord for saving her time by creating instant coffee.

    Is this a custom spoon that came with it? At first I thought it was a white plastic spoon but I see the way it curves in the long shot so I’m thinking it’s ceramic too.

    • Nessa

      I was so excited to find this! I think the idea of someone thanking the Lord for coffee is pretty kitschy, too. I think it must have been tongue-in-cheek to begin with.

      I believe this is the original spoon. Though it is made of plastic, all the other examples I found online that had a spoon had the same spoon, and the spoon is marked “Japan” just like the girl. Since I think these are from the 50s, I guess a plastic spoon isn’t unusual.

  2. denny

    Ovaltine! Wow, haven’t heard of that in ages. Great post!

    • Nessa

      Thanks! Yeah, I am a fan of Ovaltine, yum! I drink it in the morning on my way to work, since my coffee addiction was causing me some ill health effects, I’ve gotta say it doesn’t work as well as coffee but it still tastes good.

  3. Douglas Wood

    I love the juxtaposition of piousness with something so crass and pop culture-y as instant coffee. I agree, Nessa, that this was probably produced with tongue-in-cheek, but my guess is that other than you, most people who bought it took it seriously.

    • Nessa

      Hehe, yes, apparently there are a bunch of items in this set, from spoon holders to salt n’ peppers with this pious lady on them.. I guess they came in a lot of colors, too! But isn’t it funny that such a kitschy tchotchke had such a religious sentiment.

      • Allee Willis

        That’s what’s so brilliant about it. Enesco ceramics are usually way too conservative for me but this one has that perfect mix.

  4. Nessa

    I just have to mention that I found another one of these this weekend, in pink! Unfortunately, it’s the bottom only, but it was a dime or something ridiculous like that so I bought it anyway.

    • Allee Willis

      Amazingly that you spotted at least part of another one of these as I never saw one before.

      I would ALWAYS buy just the top or just the bottom if that’s all that was there and it was cheap enough. You never know when there could be a skirt wipeout.