A maker’s signature matters less at breakfast than whether the cup leaks.

Provenance is a pleasure of the shelf, not of the table. At seven in the morning what matters is the weight in the hand, the way the handle sits, whether it keeps the tea warm and whether it drips down your wrist. A famous name on the base does not improve any of that, though it can make people keep using something that annoys them daily.

Use the things you own and let daily use decide. If a beautiful object fails at the one job you need, move it to where it can be looked at instead. Keeping something in service out of respect for its maker helps nobody.