Coffee cups, but no coffee

I am charmed by the handled cups found among the Byzantine pottery at Corinth. So many look like what we'd call a coffee or tea cup, and of course this was long before coffee was drunk (although I'm sure there were some sort of brewed 'teas'--like the hot water and anise drink listed in one of the monastic typika). I'm posting some examples from Corinth...

I've tried making one -- not a straight replica, but one generally correct in shape and color. Right now I only have a photo of the cup in greenware form; it's been bisqued and I glazed it last night but as I'm about the only person at the studio who works in low fire clays I expect to have to wait awhile for the finished product. So far the clay hasn't shrunk as much as I feared it would...still learning how to gauge that! I'm using "Carolina Buff" clay, firing at 06/04. At bisque, the clay is a nice peachy/pink color (although I'd have preferred something more tan...).


Throwing tip: plastic coke bottle caps worked beautifully to shape the handles while I was waiting for them to dry enough to apply. Having them already circular made the process much much easier.