History of the Cups
Mugs, as we know, are essentially a bowl-shaped container that we use to drink beverages from. Cups have been found to be used in the most ancient times with archaeological finds dating back several millennia. These goblets have been used to drink all beverages from water to wine, in all sorts of shapes and designs, from skull goblets to goblets and chalices. Goblets as a whole are generally cups with stands traditionally made of metals and were the most common drinkware in medieval times.
The glasses, in fact, occupy a prominent place in multiple works of art that date back thousands of years. One of the most common types of cups are chalices. Chalices are so ancient that they date back to the very beginnings of the Roman Catholic Church and were originally used during Holy Communion to carry the Communion Wine. These chalices were essentially a cup shape made of precious metals such as gold and silver and were often adorned with enamels and inlaid jewels designed primarily for ceremonial purposes. Today, with goblets and chalices going out of style due to their monumental production costs, they have been superseded by their modern counterparts such as mugs and teacups.
Despite this, mugs predate goblets by several millennia. Before our ancestors figured out how to work metal, they first discovered pottery which allowed them to make very different cups than we put out today for our coffee. Although the mugs had a handle on the side similar to modern coffee mugs, these older versions were made from everything from skulls, clay, wood, and metal. However, these versions of cups were difficult when used for hot drinks and it was not until around AD 600 when porcelain was invented in China that the thin-walled cups we know today gained popularity.
Another popular form of mugs are tea mugs, which are similar to coffee mugs, their main difference being the beverage they hold. Both types of cups can only be described as small cups with handles on the sides that allow them to be manipulated with the thumb and one or two fingers usually accompanied by a saucer where the cup is placed on the plate. These cups were most often produced using ceramic materials, porcelain being the most common. The first form of cups specifically designed for drinking tea originated in the 10th century BC in China.
These cups did not have handles until the production of their European counterparts, which were usually made up of complete tea sets. Another form of goblets is the Quaich, a shallow two-handled goblet with origins as far back as Scotland. Traditionally, these goblets were made from wood in the Highlands and then mounted with silver as they gained popularity in places like Edinburgh and Glasgow. Another, more peculiar form of the cup is the Pythagorean cup, which was originally used to force the user to drink from it only in moderation, as well as being used as a drink.
