What’s So Special about a Handmade Cup?

It has been almost one year since I learnt how to make a cup. Like most people, my first memory of making a handled cup/mug is one of frustration.

Throwing the body of the cup is one thing, but throwing it consistently is a different challenge altogether; not only does the base form have to be consistent, but the handles have to be consistent as well.

It took me a week to even understand how to pull one proper handle. Needless to say, I am not a natural at this.

What do I like the most

A potter can trim the body of the cup, and that can mask the fact that it is handmade, but the handle that the potter pulled will always show the mark of the maker. Pulled handles are like movement, frozen in time.

The grooves of a pulled handle support your thumb much better than any other type of handle. It immediately feels like you are coming in contact with something ‘human’, literally. I have nothing against handles made out of coils, and it is common for people to make coiled handles for various reasons. But I find learning how to pull handles and getting better over time is a joy in itself.

What makes a ceramic cup special?

I have been a lifelong user of Stainless Steel tumblers. It is cheap and affordable. Like most Indian households, the ceramic wares are usually displayed in the showcase in my home as well.

The first time I used a ceramic cup was around 2010. I purchased it from a gift shop in Chennai. It was reserved only for when I would make black coffee for myself. The black coffee just tasted better in a ceramic cup. Imagine drinking black coffee out of an SS tumbler; It just tastes like medicine.

There’s something about a ceramic cup that just makes the drink taste better. The cup I had at my home was slip-cast and mass-produced. It was not until the moment I drank out of a handmade cup that I realised that it could be so much more pleasurable.

Objects are value-embedded

The above images are from my recent trip to Agra. I captured the one on the left at the Delhi Airport and the one on the right near the Taj Mahal. Both are from the outlet of the same brand, Blue Tokai.

You can imagine how the paper cup is “designed for more practicality”. People travel in and out of the airport, and it is convenient for them to take a drink on the go. In contrast, the handmade cup encourages slower consumption.

I have fond memories of drinking coffee out of the handmade cup, but I completely forgot about ever having coffee at the airport, that is, until I scrolled through my gallery and found this image.

Do handmade products matter in 2025?

Apart from the practicality and intentionality of the Blue Tokai cup designs, does this reveal a more profound truth about the state of our society?

Is the paper cup actually a better experience, because it is well-designed and can be consumed on the go, while actively taking away the richness of the coffee drinking experience?

Imagine a scenario where you are sitting down with your friends to have coffee or tea. You wouldn’t dare to serve coffee in a paper cup in that setup. It even feels disrespectful to do so. This might sound funny, but why are we in such a rush that we feel like we must drink coffee on the go? I it really our intention or are these so-called well-designed solutions modifying our behaviour in coffe consumption?

I have seen people mention that doing pottery in 2025 is an “act of rebellion”. I don’t quite agree with this view. If anything, pottery is more a reminder of what we used to and ought to value.