Chipped Cup

The Chipped Cup is a magical item featured in ABC's Once Upon a Time

Before the Curse
When Belle was taken to Rumplestiltskin's castle, she was serving him tea. When Rumplestiltskin makes a joke on 'skinning the children he captures', in surprise, she drops the cup. When she picks it up, she finds that it is chipped. She apologies to Rumplestiltskin and he says "Well, it's just a cup". When Belle kisses Rumplestiltskin to break his curse, he throws her in the dungeon and throws fragile objects at the wall out of anger. When he finds the chipped cup, he picks it up, and instead of throwing it, he leaves it on the table. After Rumplestiltskin lets Belle go, the Evil Queen shows up at the Dark Castle to tell Rumplestiltskin Belle died; upset, he replaces a massive golden chalice with the chipped cup on a display stand.

During the Curse
In Storybrooke, Sheriff Emma Swan receives a message and goes to Mr. Gold's house. Gold draws a gun and enters, walking slowly through the house. He turns to find Emma, also with a gun drawn. He says he has been robbed. When Emma says that keeps happening to him, Gold replies that he's a difficult man to love. When Gold says Emma can go home because he's got everything under control, she refuses and threatens to arrest Mr. Gold if he does not tell her what he knows. He accuses Moe French of robbing his home because of a "disagreement" they had earlier. Emma recovers the majority of Mr. Gold's items, but there is still something missing which upsets him. When Emma says that she'll get it when she got Moe, Gold replies not if he find him first.

Later that day, David Nolan runs into Mr. Gold at the pharmacy. Gold notices that David has two Valentine cards and warns him that love is like a delicate flame and once it's gone, it's gone forever. When he exits, it is reviewed that Mr. Gold has kidnapped Moe and ties him up in the back of his van. At an undisclosed location, Mr. Gold takes Moe out of the van to a cabin at gun point. Inside, Gold threatens Moe's life. He strikes Moe with his cane yelling that "she" is gone forever, that he (Moe) is her father and locked her out despite having her love. Emma shows up to stop him from harming him any further. She questions Gold and places him under arrest.

At the sheriff's station, Emma talks to Mr. Gold, who is behind bars. He tells her he doesn't need a reminder that she owes him a favor. Mayor Regina shows up and allows Henry to go with Emma. When they're left alone, Gold invites Regina to sit, using the word, "please". She wants to talk to Mr. Gold, who asks her if she has what he wants. When she says she does, Gold realizes Regina put Moe up to breaking into his house. She says she just wants him to answer one simple question: What's his name? When he replies, "Mr. Gold," she asks him what his name is elsewhere. After Regina says if he want her to return what's his, he tells her his name is Rumplestiltskin and addresses Regina as "Your Majesty" confirming that both are aware of their alternate identities. She pulls out the chipped tea cup and returns it to him asking him sarcastically why such hostility over a "sentimental little keepsake", to which he replies with a subtle threat. When Regina leaves, Gold is seen holding the cup tight in his hands, visibly relieved.

After the Curse
After the curse is broken, Belle, who was actually alive, was abducted by the Evil Queen back in Fairytale Land and kept imprisoned in the Storybrooke psychiatric ward during the Curse, is reunited with Mr. Gold. The two have an argument and she leaves his shop for a long walk. When she returns, she finds that he kept the chipped cup and he tells her that among the many objects he keeps, that's the only one he truly cherishes. She is very happy that he kept something to remember her by and she decides to stay with him. After Belle loses her memories due to accidentally falling past the town border line, Mr. Gold visits her in the hospital with the chipped cup. He gives it to her and asks her to look at it and concentrate; in the hopes that if she tries hard enough she will recall her old memories. He also states he charmed the cup, and the magic will help her. The subject of magic scares Belle, and she asks him to take the cup back and leave. He insists she try, but she refuses. In the midst of Belle trying to push the cup back into Mr. Gold's hands, and he the same to her, Belle takes the chipped cup and hurls it against the wall, where it shatters into pieces. Belle asks him to leave one final time, which he finally does in his despair of the destroyed cup.

Trivia

 * The chipped cup in Once Upon a Time is a reference to Chip, the character in the movie Beauty and the Beast.

Appearances
Kaputte Tasse Tasse ébréchée Tazzina Scheggiata