I have found, in living my life working with clay and around clay people, that certain rituals come with a cupboard filled with an ever multiplying collection of ceramic mugs. I couldn't say how the collection at our house has grown so large except that after four years of pottery sales, six semesters of trades with my friends in studio I suppose it is to be expected. The challenge some days, however, comes when looking over the collection trying to decide which one to pull down for THIS day, THIS cup of of coffee, hot chocolate or tea.
I'm a maker as well as a user, so I've been thinking about why I choose a particular mug in a particular situation. I want to be aware, to not just make, but to know as I make that THIS mug I'm throwing is going to be perfect for that first cup of coffee in the morning, or that THIS mug is going to become someone's everyday standby because it fits in the cup holder in their car for the drive to work. So here is my breakdown of the main categories I have discovered.
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In the early morning, you don't often want a mug that it takes a lot of thought to hold or make function. This is not the time to pull out that one mug that you traded for in throwing I. You know the one, where the rim dips dramatically on one side or where the liquid catches on a bulge in the side then comes out all at once-not a good early morning choice! You also don't want that petite mug that is graceful but has a small foot, too tipsy for the before-coffee mind. The mugs that I often choose are the ones with a broad base, the ones that hold two or more cups, that way as you move around in the dark of the house you aren't struggling with an overfull cup, when you sit down in the armchair, it can balance on the flat arm when you can't reach the side table. The handle is usually a two to three finger handle, something that you can grip easily, or slide your fingers through to hold the body of the cup and warm your hands up.
Made by Zac Benson. This has a wonderful soft handle.
and then the Lorna Meaden, my newest morning favorite.
There are times when you are needing a mug for afternoon coffee. I don't usually want that much in the middle of the day. I drink coffee then to be social, when the coffee pot goes on because we're all in the house and want to sit down together to talk. This is the time when I am drawn to a smaller mug, often one that I find beautiful. I choose a mug sometimes so that I can mark the middle of my day with an art object. It adds a little something to life. This is one of the few times when I like a one finger handle. A small foot wont be a problem because I likely wont set the cup down many times, I'll be holding it as I talk or read.
Made by Simon Levin, woodfire potter.
Tea bowls are hard, and the times I choose them are rare. You can't just grab a tea bowl to go. I will find myself pulling one out on days when I don't plan on moving a lot, like morning tea on the porch this summer, or on a day when I just want to sit inside and listen to the rain. Tea bowls are for holding with both hands, for thinking, for smelling and feeling the steam. They are for experiencing your tea as much as a way to drink it.
An H.P. Bloomer tea bowl made for an Arrowmont fundraiser.
A gift from a friend, and tied to many fond memories
One very important mug is the one that fits the cup holder in my truck perfectly. I can drive with one hand on the coffee cup that is balanced precariously on my arm rest, but I have watched enough cups tip as I turn without holding on to know the value of the ones that sit secure and snug in the cup holder. These are the driving to work mugs, the ones that ensure that your day is not thrown off by having to clean up a spill.
Made by Sierra Owens-Hughes, throwing 2.
Lastly, there is the cup and saucer set. This is a new discovery of mine. At first you may think, how many opportunities do you have to use a cup and saucer in this day and age-and culture-where sitting down to a tea is not a normal occurrence. But the cup and saucer set has become one of my favorite things. This is my Saturday morning treat. A cup and saucer is not made for moving. It means you have committed to sitting down and finishing your cup-no distractions, no need for warming it up multiple times because you've forgotten about it. Your left hand holds the saucer, your right, the cup and there you are, having a two part experience, focused on the moment. You can pause for a moment and just BE. You can sit across from a friend and it speaks volumes about the fact that you are wholly engaged, listening, not rushing off anywhere. You are there.
Made by my professor, and one of the wisest persons I
know, Aaron Lee Benson.
