Hand-painted faience has been the everyday china of the Mediterranean for centuries, and these little espresso cups come from that long tradition. Found in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, they are painted freehand in cobalt blue, some with a bird in flight and some with sprigs of leaves, outlined in fine brown, with blue-striped handles and the painter’s initials brushed on the base. Faience takes its name from Faenza in Italy, and its secret is the glaze, a thick white coat made opaque with tin that let potters give humble red clay the clean white face of porcelain. Sylvie pours a short, strong espresso into one after lunch, taken standing at the kitchen counter. Sold separately.
