Viandox cups
What is Viandox?
Viandox is a French liquid seasoning sauce with a strong salty taste – a type of bouillon with a hint of soy sauce. It is used to add extra depth to soups, sauces, and rice and vegetable dishes.
The product was originally developed in the early 1900s and remains a popular product in France. A few drops are enough to enhance the flavor of food.
Viandox was invented by Justus von Liebig (the man behind the bouillon cube). The name is a portmanteau of viande (meat) and ox (ox).
Viandox cups
Viandox cups are small porcelain cups that were made as promotional items. The cups were typically used for drinking a very hot bouillon made with Viandox and celery salt. They were especially popular during and after the war, when there was rationing and food shortages.
The cups were also practical because they could be reused again and again – something that was important when resources were scarce and one wanted to avoid waste.
The different Viandox cups
Viandox cups come in several colors and versions. We are often asked why some cups are more expensive than others, so here is a brief overview of the different cups.
The classic white Viandox with its red logo and brown base was originally designed for a "hard" life in French bistros and is the successor to the yellow one. The porcelain is thick, allowing it to retain heat, and the base design makes them easy to stack.
This model is from around the 1960s and represents an attempt to launch a more modern cup, of which the typography is a clear example.
There are newer Viandox cups that closely resemble standard coffee mugs. These are not included in this review, as we do not carry them.
The yellow Viandox cup
The yellow Viandox is a true pop-art favorite – and also the cup we sell the most of, because it fits very well into Danish decor. It appeared in the 1950s and has a chubby appearance, but is also stackable.
They can vary slightly in the yellow color, depending on the manufacturer, and there are likewise cups with and without a stamp. Those without a stamp were productions for French bistros as promotional items.
The blue Viandox cup
The sister model to the yellow one is the blue Viandox, which is also from the 1950s, when pastel colors were very popular. The yellow and blue ones were designed to complement each other, and a set with a yellow and a blue one today is truly coveted by collectors.
It is a model that is harder to find than the yellow one. The reason is that yellow was Viandox's signature color in the 1950s and matched their labels. The blue one was made as a limited edition, and many were discarded because the blue color quickly started to look dirty. Today, they end up in private collections more often than for sale.
Terre de Fer Viandox cup
The Terre de Fer Viandox cup originates from 1920–1940, with both the color and font being unique to this period. The "original" bistro cup.
They are heavier but also more fragile than the porcelain produced today. Therefore, many of these cups have crazing in the glaze and some patination in the color.
They come in different sizes, and the oldest ones have a handle, as seen on the bottom cup in the picture to the left. A smaller hole and more details – and more fragile.
The Viandox cup with the clean red-brown logo in various versions is, along with the La Santé cup, one of the first models of Viandox cups.
This model arrived shortly before the La Santé cup, where the focus was more on branding than information. The cup is from the late 1920s/early 1930s and is an Art Deco design. Again, it is a cup like the blue and white ones in terre de fer, and more fragile than the models from the 1950s and onwards.
La Santé Viandox cup
The La Santé cup is the first model to be produced in 1900–1920, where the text "La Santé par Viandox" is a statement that Viandox provides better health. The red stripe along the edge is painted on, and it is made of thinner earthenware.
Both models are difficult to find because they are highly collectible. This is, of course, reflected in the price.
Guirlande Viandox cup
The last Viandox cup is the Guirlande model. Not many of these were made, and it is designed in a classic Victorian style with a garland of leaves and floral vines. The text includes an exclamation mark after it to illustrate the novelty of Viandox. A model that dates from the end of the 19th century.
You can find our selection of Viandox cups here.
Cups are added continuously as we find them and get them home to Denmark.
Viandox cups today
The Viandox cup is popular because it is authentic. It was not created to be trendy, but to be used. They are both beautiful and ooze history – and are sought after all over the world. Especially the pastel-colored cups fit very well into Scandinavian interior design because they add a little edge to a minimalist kitchen.
Outside of Denmark and France, the cups have become symbols of the French lifestyle. In countries like Japan and the USA, large communities of collectors have emerged, where the Viandox cup is seen as the ultimate proof that one appreciates European history and craftsmanship.
Many collectors do not use them to drink from at all, but keep them as small splashes of color on shelves or use them as planters for small cacti and succulents.
We hope this provided some insight into the different Viandox cups and why they vary in expression and price.
