For this Friday's post, I lined up to show this little stack of pottery cups with a thumb imprint. I'm not sure about their official name, we just call them 'thumb mugs', for obvious reasons.
Each of the three were found on separate occasions, and they have become something we started to collect. They are so tactile, so intriguing. They have everything going for them that good pottery should be about: interesting, useful, a joy to take into the hand and all about being made by hand.
I've been really wanting to find out about their story - the shape, the thumb imprint, is it from a certain pottery tradition? - but no worthwhile info was found by me in any languages that I speak. Anybody out there who could enlighten?
The only inkling I have about them is that they probably originally were part of 6-piece sets which came with a matching pottery jug, and they are probably to drink something alcoholic out of. Possibly an Eastern European thing - Slavic or Russian maybe?
We use them to sip our morning coffee or afternoon green tea out of - in my opinion they are waaaay too big to be used as a shot 'glass'....! I hope we'll find some more of them in the future down at the fleas, in more colours and textures - they are truly a favourite thrifty find of ours and a delight to use in our daily life.
Now I'm curious too! They looked tiny until you held them in your hand.
ReplyDeletei thought the same! they look more like egg cups in the last picture :)
DeleteThese are really cool and unique. I've not seen them before so can't help you with the history sorry. Thank you for sharing this at the History & Home link party. Take care, Dawn @ We Call It Junkin.com
ReplyDeletethat's okay - i do reckon they have roots of tradition somewhere in eastern europe. i gotta lean into the research a bit more, and i hope i'll come up with some info then. x
DeleteHow interesting... I've never seen mugs like those before but I like them! Found you via the blog hop :-)
ReplyDeletethanks for hopping over Col! :)
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