Sophia Yeow vividly recalls the first purchase she made with her own hard-earned pocket money at 18-years-old. Walking into a vintage store, she was immediately drawn to a hand-painted teacup. "I recognised the pottery maker, Royal Doulton," Yeow said, referring to the British ceramics manufacturer renowned for its high-quality tableware.
At the time, Yeow was studying in Australia. As the designated cook for her flatmates, every Saturday morning, she and a few friends would drive to the wholesale market to buy groceries. "We bought as much as we could, brought it back to our unit, and divided it into smaller packages.
I kept what I needed for my unit, and we sold the rest to other units," she explained, reflecting on her early entrepreneurial spirit. That teacup purchase was pivotal as it sparked Yeow’s love for vintage items. She now proudly considers herself an avid collector of heritage items, from sewing machines to heirloom Peranakan beaded shoes and unique tableware.
“But my favourite has to be my teacups, tea sets and teapots,” she quipped. A JOURNEY OF PASSION Yeow is a private dining chef who left a successful career in marketing to focus on her love for cooking. She was also a contestant on Season 2 of MasterChef Singapore and previously won the Lee Kum Kee Supreme Chef competition in 2021.
Hosted in her spacious bungalow home in the east of Singapore, her private dining series, Butterfly Table, focuses on Peranakan “Tok Panjang” (long table) communal dining. The experience also includes a vintage “museum” tour of Yeow’s personal collection of antiques. At the front entrance of her home, Yeow built a gallery that houses her vast collection of antiques.
On display are old radios, an ice kacang machine, ancient water pots, Peranakan beaded shoes, “tingkats” (tiered containers), as well as her exquisite collection of tea sets. “I collect all kinds of tea pot sets,” shared Yeow. “I collect them from England, different parts of Europe, predominantly Germany, and right down to Russia, even to Japan.
” So vast is her collection that she admits having lost count of the number of sets she owns. “I don’t know the number of sets to be honest, because I buy them [based on] on emotion. But I would say [I own] maybe a few thousand [sets].
” Taking pride of place in her gallery is a sentimental Japanese tea set, an heirloom from her family dating back to the 1940s. It was purchased by Yeow’s granduncle, a sailor, as an engagement gift to her grandaunt. Dragons coiling around the teapots give the set a mythical allure.
At the bottom of each teacup is a hidden surprise – at an angle, one can see the silhouette of a geisha. “In every [teacup], the geisha looks slightly different,” Yeow quipped. Another prized possession is a 1939 bone china Hammersley set belonging to her husband, who was captivated by its green colour.
“He loves green, and the gifts he buys me are always green,” Yeow explained. Her husband discovered the set online and bid on it over several nights. “He’s a finance guy and he actually counts his money,” Yeow added.
Yet somehow, emotion triumphed over logic, and he ended up spending a “handsome” amount on the set. When the couple was designing the cabinetry for the gallery, Yeow’s husband requested a dedicated space for the set. “He wanted it to be a constant reminder to never let his heart rule his head,” Yeow said with a laugh.
BELOVED TREASURES AND FAMILY HEIRLOOMS Some other favourites in Yeow’s collection include a 1960s Sophie teapot made by English pottery maker Sadler, which features a chintz pattern of colourful floral motifs. Yeow noted that chintz teapots are collectible as not many were made, but she particularly cherishes this set because its name, Sophie, is similar to hers. Unique pieces in her collection include a series of vintage Lady Daintee teapots made by Sadler in the 1930s.
A delightful blend of whimsy and elegance, a Lady Daintee teapot is crafted to look like a Victorian-era lady dressed in an elaborate, ruffled gown. The facial features of each lady is delicately hand-painted by the pottery maker, and no two are the same. Yeow also collects one-person tea sets.
“It’s hard to find them. It also takes a lot from the pottery maker to make sure that they all fit. Either they stack or they fit nicely in the edges,” she said.
These one-person sets provide Yeow with an intimate tea experience for moments of personal relaxation. She describes sitting down and enjoying a cup of tea on her own, along with a small snack, as a therapeutic activity. Another interesting piece in her collection is a one-person breakfast tea set made by English pottery maker Royal Winton.
It is designed with etchings to hold the teapot, teacup, milk, sugar, and toast. “This set is very special to me and I only have one because they are so hard to get. The items in the set are so small, so a lot of times, many of them have chips and broken parts.
I’m very fortunate to have the full set,” shared Yeow. Yeow cherishes her antique Peranakan ware, which have been passed down from her mother’s side of the family. They include tableware, tiny teacups as well as large teapots.
“All my Peranakan ware reminds me of my heritage,” she said. Aside from her family heirlooms which are handed down, Yeow sources her pieces from a variety of channels. “I go to flea markets.
At my previous job, I travelled a lot. Sometimes I get them from auction sites like eBay and other times, it can be from other collectors who are downsizing their collections,” shared Yeow. Yeow’s approach to sourcing her pieces combines a personal connection to the item and practical considerations.
“First thing is, I must like it. Secondly, the price has to be right. Thirdly, if I really don’t have this piece and I am looking out for it, ok, buy!” she chuckled delightfully.
A FAMILY AFFAIR One of Yeow’s favourite activities is setting the table with some of the pieces in her collection and gathering her husband, two children and goddaughter for tea. When friends come over, she finds joy in setting the table as well. “I’ve always enjoyed hosting and whenever I host, I always set the table,” she said.
In fact, at Butterfly Table, Yeow's guests are always wowed by her exquisite table setting as soon as they enter the dining area. “To me, it’s a form of respect for those dining at my table,” she explained. “Be it my children, my friends, they come in and the first thing they say is, ‘Wow, so beautiful!’” Yeow does not have a hard and fast rule when it comes to her table setting technique.
She enjoys mixing and matching different patterns while making sure that the colours blend well together. “I may take a different teapot to pair with a different cup, and even the cake plate where they put their sandwiches, I may change them,” she said of her approach. Yeow considers herself fortunate that her two children have inherited her love for antiques and tea sets.
“I thought to myself, if something happens to me, would my children appreciate these items? Otherwise, they might become a burden. So at least when I collect, it’s a legacy I can pass down.” She finds comfort in knowing that her cherished collection will continue to be appreciated and treasured by the next generation, ensuring that her love for antiques and tea sets will always form a meaningful part of her family's heritage.
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