Drinking In Art

The vessels we choose to drink our favourite brews from are often an integral part of tea and coffee culture.  Artist Jane Lee McCracken has designed six exquisite finest English bone china mugs as ‘little pieces of art’ in functional form.  A recent addition to her fine English china collection In Homage to the Last Great Carnivores of Eurasia’, Jane’s mug designs feature her intricate layered Biro drawings.  Woven with symbolic imagery, this series focuses upon threatened and endangered species.  

Each design was created by utilising the maximum surface area available and includes ‘a little surprise’ image inside each mug.

“I love surprises, so not only was it important to present exterior imagery to maximum effect but to continue the design inside, where a little surprise appears as the user drinks from their mug!  This idea was two-fold – both aesthetically and to further highlight the symbolism, which is integral to my work. Creatures stare out of the interior at the world around them or gaze into the eyes of the user.”

“Sweet and Revenge mugs are perhaps my most intimate pieces as Sweet features a hybridisation of my dog Lily and both artworks were inspired by the wolves of the Wolf Conservation Center, New York.  It was exciting to work on the design of Sweet and fold Lily’s wings inside the mug, creating a sense of movement as if her wings are beating! These two designs tell a tale about love and loyalty and at the heart of the symbolism is the fact that without their wild kin we would not have our domesticated dogs.”

Jane’s mug designs are amongst the most highly decorated and intricate on the market to date and the aesthetic style and quality of the mugs were equally important to her.  Both contemporary and timeless, elegant with unique handles and made of the finest English china available, each mug is hand decorated and produced in Stoke-on-Trent by The New English, one of the best ceramic manufacturers and designers in the UK.

Jane recently took a trip to New York to visit Wolf & Badger SoHo where her sumptuous limited edition bone china coupe plates and prints are beautifully displayed in store.  She also travelled to New York State to finally meet the wolves of the Wolf Conservation Center who she has been drawing and raising funds for over many years.

Perfect as an opulent treat or as a gift for someone special, all six designs are available in store at Wolf & Badger SoHo and online.