Hello from australia. Both my parents are from the Netherlands and migrated here in the 60s/70s. I was visiting my dad today and found this. He has no idea where it came from or what it means.

I’m assuming it’s a puzzle or riddle? Most likely something catholic related being it’s probably from my Oma.

Would love any input. Thanks

by mrsbriteside

12 comments

  1. I think it says: “Vul de thee nimmer bij, tenzij de ketel kokend zij”.

    Meaning “don’t make tea unless the water is still boiling”

    *fixed wording

  3. Is it maybe a tea cozy? Looks lovely and handmade. As other have said it says “Never top up[bee picture for a pun] the [teapot] unless the [kettle] is boiling.

  4. The English version of the Dutch saying is “Unless the kettle boiling be, filling the teapot spoils the Tea.” i.e. do everything in the right order at the right time.

    You can find the English version online embroidered in a similar style.

  5. it using a Dutch homophone where “bij” is the Dutch word for bee, but it’s also the translation of “by”, but also there is a linguistic quirk in how the Dutch use the “by” version. You can roughly think of it as never set the tea “by” the teapot (it feels clunky in English), unless the water is “cooked” (boiled)

  6. Pretty piece of handsmantscraft. She probably made it in school. They use to make these things for mother’s day. Do not know its size, but could be used to hold the kettle as it was hot.

    Grandad would probably have gotten a tie with the same motive, although clay ashtrays were common for father’s day.

  7. Vul de [theepot] nimmer [bij] tenzij de [ketel] kokend zij

    Literally word for word:

    Fill the teapot never [bee/re-] unless the kettle boiling be

    Translation:

    Never refill/top up the teapot unless the kettle is boiling

  8. The correct term for this kind of sound-alike smashing together of pictograms and words is a “rebus”

  9. This piece of cloth can be used to pick up the kettle. It is an household item and does not have any religious connotation. 

  10. Oh man, my grandma had one of these hanging in her kitchen (I’m a regular Dutchie so it’s probably common), but I’d totally forgotten about this thing! I need to learn crossstitch to make one (don’t know where nana’s one went after her passing).

  11. Side note: definitely some *don’t dead, open inside* stuff going on here.

    Following the logic of the first sentence, the entire thing would read “Vul nimmer de pot bij, tenzij kokend de ketel zij”.

  12. Vul de magische lamp nimmer, strontvlieg.

    Tenzij the theepot kokende zij.

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