Yunomi, tea cup, coffee mug… these drinking vessels have many names.
Most of my cups are handless. While I appreciate the functionality of handles — I love what Jack Troy said when he described making a cup with a handle as a way of imposing a particular side on the user, be they left-handed or right-handed. By making a cup handless, it gives you a choice of where to hold the cup and where to sip from. Find your favorite side! It also slows down the process of making a hot drink, you have to allow the tea or coffee to cool until it is at the perfect temperature to drink!
I also much preferred the aesthetic of a cup without handles — uncluttered, pure, simple. The dimples I put in many of my cups provide for the perfect hand hold.
The Japanese call these little sippers Guinomi – distinct from Yunomi because they are smaller. Often made for sipping sake. I think of them as a way to take small sips of a special drink. Sake is delicious, but maybe you have a special whiskey or scotch you want to taste. Take a sip, savor the aroma and taste. You won’t be gulping your drink with these!
