Arabia Sotka Coffee Cup, Vintage

Sotka (bluebill, a bird) features a hand-painted feather-like decoration in beautiful cobalt blue against a pure white background.

The highlight of this design is the artful and calligraphic brush-strokes, which have required extreme skill. Arabia was indeed much admired for the talent of its ceramic painters. The hand-painted nature of the pattern makes each dish excitingly unique and the colours shift in tone from pale watercolour washes to deep and luxurious tones. This change in colours give the simple design an exciting illusion of three-dimensionality and depth.

According to Finnish mythology the world was created from six golden eggs and one iron egg laid by this waterbird for Ilmatar, goddess of the air. Likewise the deep blue pattern by Raija Uosikkinen feels elegant and richly mysterious.

A set of a cup and a saucer for hot drinks. Usually used for serving coffee- or espresso-based drinks but also hot chocolate or tea. Beautiful coffee cups are popular as gifts. They fit well for both a hurry-free everyday and celebrations.

Many collect these cups for their diverse decorations and for the fact they don't take up much space and look cute even on a shelf.