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Ich wünsche mit Personen in Verbindung kommen, die dieselbe künstlerische Interesse wie ich haben. Deshalb habe ich daran gedacht, den ersten Schritt zu machen, und regelmäßig über meine letzte Arbeitsvorgänge zu berichten.
Started:
Last update: December 3
 Finished:
Aug. 18 , 2003 : "Parkinson Cup" - terra cotta - ceramics
Dec. 3 , 2003
 
 
The idea


As I prepare for old age and some hand tremor or trembling of the Parkinson type (of which I have actually been mildly affected for years - even though it does not affect my sketching skills), and observe older people drinking their coffee, it came to me to design a cup adapted to avoid spilling coffee and other beverages all over the floor or on your clean blouse or shirt.


Two modifications should be made on the standard cup:
First the cup should be attached to the saucer, and then the saucer should be shaped so as to retain a small quantity of spilled liquid as it is being brought to the drinker's lips and inclined in the drinking position, all the way to the horizontal.

Above and left are models I made myself so as to explain to a professional ceramist.
At right is one of the final products.

Execution





My friend Mara, an art teacher in Siena, made the clay model shown here on top and above left. It was made entirely by hand without the help of a turn table.

My first design idea is shown here right.
It is aesthetically pleasant but it has 2 defects:
- it is drinkable only with the right hand
- it would be too uneasy to wash or clean.

The first one is easy to solve by either
- making 2 distinct cups, one with the handle on the other side, or
- putting a handle on each side of the cup, or
- making the saucer symmetrical so that the handle may be used left or right - but it would not look as pleasant.

As for the ease of washing the cup, it will probably suffice to widen the space between the cup's wall and the vertical wall of the spill receptacle .
A more classical design is shown at left and right.
Here the symmetry is not unpleasant.



I think I'll have the design at left as a first production prototype and then work on the glasing and decoration.

Click to enlarge and read the dimensions.

Espresso and cappuccino cups.

The small cup is asymmetrical and designed for right handed.
The larger cup is all around symmetrical and can be used by all.

Lilly is my mother-in-law who is 85 and whom I love very much. I wanted her to have the first such cup ever made.