by Sherard Harrington
I’ve grown obsessed with handless mugs. I just really like how I have to wait for the tea I drink (which I drink constantly—it borders on obscene) to cool before I try to drink it. It’s like a great lesson in waiting, slowing down, and considering my actions before giving in to my desires.
I have two handless mugs I bought from an oriental market in Cambridge that I use all the time for that sort of beverage contemplation. Knowing what I know about Junichiro Tanizaki, I appreciate these mugs even more. Tanizaki is the author of In Praise of Shadows, which, as you can imagine, is a book...about...praising...shadows. But seriously, in it he makes some really good points (e.g. miso soup should be consumed from a dark bowl, because when you drink miso soup in a white bowl, you’re too focused on the fact that the soup’s broth is all chunky and heterogenous instead of actually just enjoying the soup), and while my mug is dark all around, there’s a ring of dim light that you can see near the bottom if you finish your tea.
Every time I finish my tea, I feel rewarded.
And that is how I spend my Friday nights.
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