During the Victorian Era, a proper man took his appearance seriously. The hallmark of a man held in the highest regard was a well-groomed mustache, a symbol of self-respect and confidence. His challenge was to protect his perfectly styled moustache. The moustache cup was invented in the mid-19th century by British potter Harvey Adams. The mustache guard, secured to the inner brim of the cup, protected a gentleman’s mustache from the daily onslaught of hot or frothy drinks.
Patented in September 1890 by Ruben P. Hollinshead, this guard is an improvement upon other devices designed to "[suspend] a gentleman's mustache in order to keep the same up out of the way at the table, thus preventing the annoyance which so frequently is experienced in eating soups and other like foods, and drinking tea, coffee, or other liquids by gentlemen having heavy moustaches." It looks rather painful.