Textured mug, Ntshak motif – Kuba Velvet

Geometric labyrinths inspired by scarification patterns, embroidered in velvet in the Kuba Kingdom.

The outside of the mug is white and pebbled, its textured surface inviting the touch. Inside, brown and orange geometric labyrinths unfold like Kuba velvet. This piece is our tribute to the iconic “Kuba Velvet” fabric, a reinterpretation we have named “Ntshak”; “Ntshak” is the name of the raffia cloth worn by Kuba women (DR Congo).

🌀 The history of the pattern

In the Kuba Kingdom, in Kasai, Shoowa men weave palm fiber and women embroider it into velvet, following geometric labyrinths inspired by scarification patterns. These pieces were so precious that they served as currency or covered the royal throne.

• Ntshak (DR Congo, Kuba): the raffia cloth of Kuba women.
• Kasai Velvet (DR Congo): raffia fabrics woven by Shoowa men and embroidered by women.

✨ What the pattern tells

The pattern speaks of the value of patient work: a piece of velvet can take several months to a year. It recalls these prestigious fabrics, given as gifts or used as currency. Giving this piece highlights the time and care you wish to convey.

Our reinterpretation

For this mug, the pattern moves to the inside: the outside remains white and pebbled, while the brown, orange, and ochre labyrinths are revealed with every sip. This mug is decorated to order in our Alfortville workshop, with the pattern prepared, applied, and glazed by hand before firing.

At your table

Imagine it on a light linen tablecloth, in the soft morning light, surrounded by a few loved ones. As a gift, it evokes the prestigious fabrics given in the Kuba Kingdom, like a gesture that takes its time.

Features

• Contents: 1 mug, pebbled exterior (textured surface), pattern on the inside.
• Colors: orange, ochre, brown, white.
• Material: porcelain.
• Dimensions: Pebbled mug: Ø 8 cm, height 8 cm.
• Personalization: pattern, colors, addition of a first name, date, or short message upon request.
• In case of breakage: replacement of a single item possible (same pattern, same dimensions), as long as the shape remains in the catalog.
• In the same pattern: breakfast set, set of 6 square plates.

Write to us to add a first name, date, or message and make this mug a gift that carries the time and care of the Ntshak pattern.