The Handled Mug

Handles on mugs are boring.

They often feel like an afterthought, yet pulling and attaching them to the mug body is a process full of care, when done well -- a process I do not enjoy. 

Despite my general feelings toward them, I was challenged to design a mug with a handle. 

I set out to design something overstated without giving up functionality or durability; a mug whose body and handle are balanced visually, and is seamlessly constructed. 

“Pulling” a handle is the most common way to construct a handle for a mug, as it ensures that the clay is homogenized and strong enough to endure daily use and wash.

Understanding the goals of pulling handles, but determined, not to do it, I combined both my desire of achieving a certain aestheitc with my anti-handle-pulling agenda, which resulted in The Handled Mug design.

At the same time as throwing the cylinders used for the body of the mug, I throw other similar cylinders and score them for trimming into rings when the mugs are leather-hard and ready to be trimmed. 

Using a long knife, the rings are trimmed into ~270 degree circles with tapered ends for scoring and attaching to the body using clay slip and smoothing with hand tools.  

Every mug was thrown, constructed, and glazed in my apartment in DC and fired off-site -- a process that takes at least one week from start to finish.


** Each mug varies slightly in shape and handle width, and of course, glaze pattern. I will do my best to match mugs for orders of two or more. Capcity of each is about 6-7oz.