We started making limited edition seasonal mugs during the first shut down from Covid in the spring of 2020. It was the result of a brainstorming session on how we could continue to keep the make pottery during the shut down and give customers something special to order from home.
Our Mother's Day mug of 2020 was the first of these and the first round of those sold out within 48 hours. That lead me to the idea for a Thanksgiving and Christmas specific mug last year. It was also received with the same kind of popularity and it has turned into something we enjoy creating season after season.
Each mug is designed by me, Sara, and executed by our team of artisans at Black Oak. During shut down they were mostly made by Jonathan in our at home studio, but as the studio has opened back up this year, we are back to our whole team of potters throwing, trimming, assembling, glazing, and firing each mug. Each mug is touched by a minimum of 6 artisans from start to finish and each step is 100% made by hand.
We purposely don't smooth out our throw marks (the ridges on the sides of the mugs left by the potters fingers) so that each mug speaks to the handmade quality. We also love the texture it gives each mug. We give each handle the perfect hand feel with the indented part made by a thumb, creating a perfect moment as you hold your morning coffee.
We hope you enjoy your Thankful mug as much as we enjoyed making it!