Assembly x Skye Corewijn — Porcelain Coffee Cup

Skye Corewijn was born in Cape Town, South Africa, before moving to the UK in 2010.

After studying English Literature/ Art History and a brief stint in the music industry Skye found her love for tactility and craft fulfilled at the seat of a pottery wheel.

In 2014 Skye began working on bespoke commissions for some of London’s leading fine dining restaurants and today she continues this collaborative working process which combines functional purpose and aesthetic form. 

Skye’s work focuses on simple forms and elevated tactility. Texture features prominently across all mediums while usability and function underline the objective with every piece.

Skye's work is available via her webshop and at klei - co-founded with Jess Joslin - in Netil Market, Hackney and available online

Creating a coffee cup

In partnership with Skye we’ve sought to create a series of cups which are optimum for drinking filter coffee. The form is designed to fit comfortably in the palm of a hand while the wide mouth to encourages faster cooling, heightens the perception of mouthfeel, and highlights clarity in flavor.

The wall width is approximately 5mm to enhance the rate of cooling while maintaining an elegant weight in the hand. When the cup cools to where it can be held comfortably the coffee will be within the ideal temperature window for ideal evaluation of taste. Each cup comfortably holds 220ml.

These cups are made from 80% porcelain blended with 20% coarse stoneware (crank). Porcelain is the strongest clay medium and generally regarded as the most refined. The introduction of stoneware and choice not to glaze the outside of the cups is a deliberate effort to deliver a tactile and natural experience while drinking.

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Process 

• 450g of ceramic/ coarse stoneware is used in the making of each cup.
• After throwing each cup to share it is set to rest and dry.
• After approximately 24 hours or when clay is ‘leather-hard’ (semi-dry) it is returned to the wheel and trimmed to create the final shape. 
• Cups are then Bisque fired in an electric kiln that reaches 950 degrees celsius is held there for an hour and then allowed to slowly cool. Approximately 24 hours start to finish

• A clear glossy glaze is applied to the interior before a secondary firing which reaches a maximum temperature of 1260 where it is held for 20 minutes. 

• Each cup is 1/30. 

Shop - Porcelain Coffee Cups. 

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