A wooden mug has become a symbol of our country, just like the matryoshka doll and the balalaika. The dishes are made from various trees, birch bark. It is not only a functional container for drinks, but also a decorative element, a souvenir in which small trinkets are stored.
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The origin of the first wooden mugs
No historian can name the exact date when people started making dishes from wood. At excavation sites, utensils made in the 8th century BC were found. It all started with birch bark, then bowls and bratinas appeared. Wood was perfect for making household utensils.
Please note! Previously, food was placed in recesses made in the tabletop. It was inconvenient to eat from the table, so individual containers began to appear.
The wood was hollowed, cut, and then sharpened. Mugs for mead were made by coopers, assembled like barrels, and tied with iron hoops. Now some craftsmen specialize in such utensils. This is a great gift for lovers of a bathhouse or a hot sauna. Wooden utensils have long been made by Scandinavian peoples; solid wooden “Viking” mugs with carved handles and medieval-style lids are considered real works of art.
Finnish wooden mugs remain popular, they are purchased by lovers of active recreation for hiking, fishing, hunting. The dishes made from a single piece of wood have a convenient loop handle, by which the container is fastened to a belt or backpack. Kuksy are made by hand without the use of woodworking machines.
Important! Finnish children's mug with a capacity of 50-100 ml, first and second courses are served in larger ones (500 ml) in ethnic restaurants.
In the East, in the hot countries of Asia and Africa, drinking vessels were made of bamboo, knotty shoots were cut, dried, and soaked in the resinous juice of living trees. Modern bamboo dishes amaze with their shapes, versatility, and durability.
Benefits of Wooden Tableware
The wooden layer of mugs and cups is very dense, for work the masters choose only mature wood, it is additionally subjected to heat treatment or soaked. When you see elegant sets under Khokhloma with gilding, you can’t even believe that this is real tableware from which you can eat and drink. The lacquer layer is durable, not afraid of dampness, heat exposure.
Although wooden kitchenware has its drawbacks, the main disadvantages being impracticality and difficult maintenance, the dishes have many more advantages.
Wood is environmentally friendly, it is a natural material that does not emit harmful substances during use. A thin varnish layer seals the voids between the fibers. The composition is made on the basis of natural components, safe for human health.
Gourmets claim that drinks in wooden vessels perfectly preserve the original aroma. Beer mugs without impregnation enrich kvass, a foamy drink with fresh notes, a woody flavor.
Important! The containers made of dense resinous wood are left in their original form on the inside to preserve the unique smell and bactericidal properties of the natural material. The varnish coating is applied only on the top to make the mugs easier to wash.
Products made of wood look aesthetically pleasing, they are usually not stored in cabinets, but put on display for all to see. Craftsmen create real masterpieces, each mug is unique. Wooden products are not produced in a flow method. They are painted, burned, and carved on the surface by hand.
What can you drink from wooden mugs
The dishes are used for cold and hot drinks. Green tea is served in elegant cups made of dense wood. Kuksa is universal, it is a cup and a plate at the same time. In field conditions, soups are poured into it, porridge is laid out, tea and milk are poured.
Please note! Kuksa has never been considered a beer vessel, it is used for eating, not for entertainment. Giving a Finnish mug to beer lovers is bad manners.
Large mugs used to be considered containers for kvass and mead. Now they are used for beer. It is not customary to drink other alcohol from wood. Alcohol dries out the surface of the varnish, making it brittle.
Please note! A special food varnish is used to impregnate the wood, which darkens from colored carbonated drinks. The dye gets into the microcracks of the surface layer.
What types of wood are mugs made from?
The materials used are coniferous and deciduous trees:
- Oak is resistant to humidity and cracking. Depending on age and drying temperature, it acquires different natural shades. The most durable is bog oak, aged in water for several decades.
- Ash is valued for its noble color and durability. The structural pattern is clearly expressed.
- Tropical acacia is valued for its delicate aroma, which can be felt even under a varnish layer. The wood structure is patterned, several shades of beige, there is almost white.
- Bamboo is both light and strong, it is used to make thin-walled cups, tea sets with turned saucers and coasters. Bamboo has antiseptic properties, is moisture-resistant, and is impact-resistant.
- Linden is chosen for carved handles. The wood is pliable and resistant to cracking.
- Birch is used for massive forms, massive containers with a wide bottom are carved from it. The pattern is burned on the birch, then filled with paint.
Less often, dishes are made from cherry, cedar, pear, jujube, spruce, lotus wood, jujube, and hevea.
Beer mugs
A traditional feature of the dishes is considered to be an extended bottom, but often craftsmen imitate the shape of a barrel. Norwegians produce cylindrical containers, covering the outside with openwork carving. Durable mugs are made of solid oak, acacia. The wood can be cut and does not crack.
Important! Dried, dense wood is used for manufacturing. After turning, the surface is sanded and impregnated with varnish that hardens in the air.
Tea cups
A fisherman's cup is a small bowl without a handle. They are painted in Khokhloma style. Chinese ones resemble small bowls, they have a small rim, which is convenient to hold the container by. Modern cups are made in the shape of porcelain. Tea sets made of dense wood differ externally only in color.
Important! Stylish designer tableware has a wooden round stand instead of a saucer - a ring-shaped processed cut.
Nuances of caring for wooden utensils
Please note! Containers cannot be placed in dishwashers, as this will make the mugs and cups rough and lose their original shine.
Wooden items are washed with warm water and soap using a soft sponge. Do not use hard brushes, abrasive powders, melanin, aggressive detergents with oxalic acid and alkali. After each dishwashing, let the water drain, then wipe the mugs, cups, and saucers dry. Protect items with colored painting from direct sunlight.
Since ancient times, we have received not only the secrets of craftsmanship, but also the care of wooden mugs and cups:
- alcohol or vinegar wipes help to get rid of the smell of drinks, then rinse the surface with cool water;
- tannic films from coffee and tea disappear when the containers are soaked in cold water;
- Stains on varnish are removed with fresh onion juice, the dark spots are rubbed with a cut half, left for 5-10 minutes, then the onion is washed off.
Main manufacturers of wooden mugs
Please note! The Internet resources offer original handicrafts, such dishes are made in a single copy, will be a wonderful gift.
Russian crafts, observing centuries-old traditions, are revived by small factories. Unique wooden mugs and cups are produced by the following companies:
- "Dobroparov" - a manufacturer of goods for baths and saunas offers massive mugs for beer, kvass, and other cold drinks with a capacity of 0.5 liters made of solid wood and individual planks with metal hoops;
- "WOODEN TABLEWARE", Mari El Republic specializes in cups and mugs made of solid wood with carved or burnt designs;
- The Dobroe Derevo factory in Gorodets offers a wide range of mugs made of oak, ash, linden, and birch;
- "ArtConcept", Ryazan, a well-known manufacturer of mugs for cold drinks with a thick carved handle;
- "Siberian Birch Bark" (Lukoshko 70) makes fragile souvenir mugs with a capacity of 300, 500 ml with carved overlays.
The following art and craft workshops are famous for their cups with and without handles, mugs with a capacity of 150 to 400 ml, glasses with traditional Khokhloma, Gzhel, and national motifs paintings:
- "Gorodets painting", the factory was founded 60 years ago, the masters use a variety of paints, shades, shapes;
- "Khokhloma painting", products are made in the style of Golden Khokhloma of the 18th century;
- "Khokhloma patterns", a unique, one-of-a-kind production;
- "Kursk Art Painting Plant", a branch of the Academy of Arts, offers original works;
- "Painting of the Peoples of the North" makes dishes with ethnic patterns.
The manufacturer of traditional Finnish kuksa mugs is Finn-Savotta, founded in 1955.
Viking-style products are made by the Chinese company RealTS, and Masters Fair offers original works made using the technology of barrels from individual planks. Norwegian craftsmen are famous for their artistic wood carving, and the Nordic company produces containers with and without handles from wild jujube, hevea, and tropical acacia.
Wooden dishes are durable and strong. They are not afraid of food acids, alkalis, and do not crack from hot tea or coffee. Wooden mugs are comfortable to hold in your hands and provide aesthetic pleasure.
VIDEO:Oak mug made by hand.
50 variations of original wooden cups and mugs:
