Gianneli Colours Red and Yellow Ceramic Mug

Red, yellow and blue wrapped around the body of a white ceramic mug. A wrap-around design has one constraint a flat print does not: the handle. The artwork runs around the mug and the handle sits in it, so the design is composed to work with that interruption rather than pretending it is not there.

Designing Around A Handle

• An abstract survives an interruption. A composition with no single subject can be broken by a handle without losing its meaning, where a centred image would be cut in half.
• Three colours keep both views interesting. A mug is seen from either side depending on which hand holds it, and a multi-colour abstract gives both views something.
• The print goes right to the handle. Colour runs across the full body rather than sitting as a panel with white space around it.

The Two Sizes

11 oz at 3.85 inches tall, or 15 oz at 4.70 inches, both 3.35 inches in diameter. Only the height changes, so the larger mug occupies the same footprint in a cupboard and needs the same hand to hold it.

Dishwasher And Microwave, Both Fine

Ceramic with the image under the glaze. There is no metallic content in the print, which is what makes it microwave safe, and no surface layer to abrade, which is what makes it dishwasher safe. Neither is a limitation to work around.

Where A Bright Mug Is The Wrong Gift

This is a strong, warm, three-colour design and it will not disappear into a neutral kitchen. As a gift that is a decision about the recipient rather than about the mug, and someone with a monochrome kitchen may not thank you for it.

Practical Answers

Where does the design start and stop? It wraps the body of the mug and meets at the handle, so there is no blank panel on either side.

Can it be put in the dishwasher every day? Yes. The image is beneath the glaze, so repeated cycles act on the glaze rather than on the print.

Is the ceramic thick or fine? It is a sturdy everyday ceramic rather than a fine bone china, built for daily use rather than for weight-saving.