Cup of the Immortals from the City of Saints
We are more than just coffee enthusiasts; we are coffee lovers through and through. Every day, we brew our own fresh coffee, and we savor every single cup. Regardless of what's happening in our lives, that first sip of coffee brings us pure joy. It's not merely a hot beverage; it's a gateway to a dream world.
Recently, we found ourselves dissatisfied with the "Fast Food" approach to coffee consumption. It’s simply not our style. ‘On-the-go’ is not our thing. At least not for every cup, most days of the week. We didn't want to be constantly rushing to grab a cup on the way to our next class, or meeting, or appointment. We believe in courting coffee, in taking the time to grind the beans, brew them just right, and truly relish that perfect cup.
Coffee in recent times, we feel, is being treated unfairly. Its glory is being challenged, and why? Because of the vessels it's poured into. Single origin coffee, the epitome of coffee excellence, deserves better than to be served in generic, mass-produced cups. We didn’t want our premium coffee from Africa poured into a commodity cup made on a lifeless machine. We didn’t want to lose those mesmerizing aromas of freshly roasted beans to a cup made from materials that will do more harm than good to us and the planet. Above all, we refuse to let our specialty coffee encounter a cup devoid of personality and character. The entire experience was losing its spirit.
We were simply not content with the available the choice of coffee cups available in the market. Their appearance didn't please us, and we were dissatisfied with the hassle of cleaning stubborn coffee stains with boiling water, baking powder, or, in the case of stainless steel mugs, hydrogen peroxide! We refused to sacrifice the glory of our coffee. We wanted something truly extraordinary.
Thus began our quest for inspiration. As we delved into the history of pottery, we repeatedly stumbled upon archaeological finds from ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Mycenae, and the Indus Valley. Surprisingly, the most commonly unearthed artifacts from prehistoric civilizations were pottery items, and many of them were genuine works of art.
The people of yesteryears adorned their pottery with intricate floral designs, mathematical patterns, symbolic representations of mythological stories, and their deities. Their beauty left us in awe, and we couldn't help but wonder how these ancient craftsmen created pottery that has stood the test of time. They must have possessed some secret to crafting these timeless masterpieces. And so our search for the ultimate coffee cup commenced.
We scoured the world in pursuit of something extraordinary—something that would not only complement our premium coffee but also elevate the entire coffee experience. We longed for a creation made with the same timeless methods and materials that our ancestors employed in their pottery-making. Our journey led us to the Indus Valley region.
Upon closer examination, we discovered that within the Indus Valley, specifically in the southeastern part of modern-day Pakistan, there was one city that still embraced the traditional way of pottery-making: Multan. Known as the birthplace of mysticism, Multan has been historically renowned for two things: its numerous shrines and its traditional "blue pottery".
Blue pottery, as it is affectionately called, involves crafting pottery from a unique white stone clay known as Indus Super Clay. The exact recipe remains a closely guarded secret, but we do know that it consists of a special blend of five different stone clays. Each piece of pottery is meticulously sculpted and then painted by highly skilled artisans under the watchful eye of a "Master Artisan". The floral designs draw inspiration from the mystical heritage of the region. The entire process of clay making, sculpting, and painting is extremely difficult to learn, and even more demanding to practice. Today, there are fewer than 100 artisans who possess this unique skill of blue pottery-making. And all of them are generational artisans.
The craft is passed down from one generation to the next through lifelong apprenticeship programs. It takes several years to master the basics and decades to become a "Master Artisan."
Just imagine shaping a lump of clay into a specific cup or saucer form. Picture yourself honing your skills to the point where you can do it with your eyes closed, repeating the same shape and size hundreds of times. Now, envision applying over 100 brush strokes to each cup or saucer, striving for as little variation as possible across hundreds of pieces. That's the level of skill these generational artisans possess.
For nearly a year, we collaborated with a Master Artisan to create the "ultimate demitasse cup with saucer". The result is a collection of exquisite pottery that encapsulates the region's heritage. Animated by the spirit of true craftsmanship, these cups are guaranteed to enrich your coffee experience.
It's no coincidence that the Cup of the Immortals traces its roots back to the "City of Saints" - Multan.
