Are you a pocillovist?
Wait. Let's rephrase that.
Do you collect egg cups?
If so, you're into pocillovy (from the Latin, pocillum ovi, "a small cup for an egg").
Like many other serving dishes that have advanced to the realm of collectibles, egg cups initially provided a practical solution to a perplexing problem. In this case, how to serve an egg with a minimum of morning frustration. A traditional bowl was too roomy. A plate was too flat. And so, the egg cup was born. Its sole purpose: to hold an egg safely within its confines. "Eggs-asperated" breakfasters around the globe breathed hungry sighs of relief.
Throughout their lengthy history (some egg cups date to ancient Pompeii), the servers have been fashioned of whatever proved handiest and up to the required task. Wooden egg cups, from warm cherry to burnished ebony, are prized for their elegantly turned shapes, which bring out the natural beauty of the wood. They're often adorned with silver or ivory protective edge trim. Metal egg cups have been fashioned of silver, pewter, aluminum, gun metal, and a host of other metallic possibilities. Designs range from sleek, undecorated examples basking in simple, shiny glory, to those embellished with piercings, embossings, and engravings. China and porcelain cups were produced by name manufacturers including Spode, Goebel, and Wedgwood. They were hand-decorated (or, in the case of less pricey competitors, decal-decorated) with fruits, flowers, and other sprightly images. Pressed glass cups, in clear colors or marble-like "slag" were less expensive than china and could feature molded-in patterns or be shaped in such apropos forms as chickens, ducks, and bunnies. Also inexpensive: plastic egg cups, which came into vogue in the 1930s with the development of durable plastic formulas. For the most careful eaters, there were even rubber, straw, and papier-maché egg cups.
Standard egg cup shapes run the gamut, from those identified by design ("Footed" or "Bucket") to those identified by purpose, such as the "Goose and Chicken." This "double cup" had a smaller end just the right size for a chicken egg, with the larger end intended to hold a goose egg. The real egg cups to beat, however, are novelties and figurals.
Even the most hard-boiled collector cracks a smile when greeted by egg cups that pay tribute to such pop culture icons as Mickey Mouse, Snow White, Bugs Bunny, and those ever-blue Smurfs. The cups are a special hit with baby boomers, conjuring up childhood recollections not that far in the past.
Many are in traditional cup shapes, with the character likeness an applied illustration. The really good eggs, however, are figurals, often of heads (a natural) but sometimes full body depictions, such as "Noddy." He's the winsome scamp who now and then shows up in the Downton Abbey kitchen.
Other popular themes are fairy tale and nursery rhyme favorites, animals, buildings, and vehicles such as toy trains. And, when Easter egg time rolls around each year, you'll find a flock of chicken cups and a hutchful of bunny cups on antique dealers' shelves. Giving these to wide-eyed youngsters each Easter-complete with an oversize chocolate egg-was a tradition in the early 20th century. Candy maker Fanny Farmer even made sure recipients knew where that delicious chocolate was coming from: its duck cups were emblazoned with the company name. In recent years, the tradition of an annual Easter egg cup has been carried on by candy companies such as Cadbury's.
Once upon a time, long before the days of Egg McMuffins, breakfast meant a well-stocked and welcoming kitchen table-including eggs in their individual cups. Egg cups had folks starting each day with a smile. So this Easter morning, why not treat yourself to a leisurely breakfast? You've probably got at least one egg cup stashed away somewhere. Break it out, and bring it back to the table where it belongs. And keep your sunny side up.
Egg cups courtesy of Jan McKelvie.
Images courtesy of the author.

Donald-Brian Johnson is the co-author of numerous Schiffer books on design and collectibles, including "Postwar Pop," a collection of his columns. He's still wiping the egg off his face for all the "eggs-cruciating" puns. Please address inquiries to: donaldbrian@msn.com.