tki cup with strainer(?) ID help

I found this some time ago in a local thrift store. Just this one, but I assume it came as a set. Maybe it's a built in strainer for tea? It's just that I haven't seen this feature on any tea cup, tiki or otherwise.

I'm sure someone here knows this well. I've always been a little puzzled by it. I don't have any of the reference books yet. What do I have here?

Moustache cup perhaps?

I've seen several versions of this cup but none with the extra strainer feature. I'll have a guess that it was a "homemade" Tiki created from a Duncan mold with the extra feature built in before it was fired. I've also seen this Tiki cup without a handle and a large punch bowl version of this guy. Still a unique find and nice addition to your collection! Mahalo for sharing!

seems that the strainer is in the wrong location to drink from, maybe some sort of creamer? just my two cent. cool piece what ever the intended use.

Thanks for weighing in with your theories, all. It is a cool piece but the purpose has had me stumped, as I said. The strainer part does look like it was built in by hand, then fired with the rest. I guess it wouldn't be possible to mold make something like that--how would it release?

I looked again closely at the bottom for any marks, and I can make out what looks like a faint "DAMER" or "JAMAR" and a copyright symbol (c within a circle) scratched in before the firing and glazing.

I looked that up here in the TC archives and the only name I found like that was in reference to a steakhouse in San Diego, I think it was? Very tenuous connection at best, I know.

I would guess the cup was some kind of pitcher to serve some kind of liquid that was prepared with solids (such as tea leaves or ice). Because of the positioning of the strainer, it seems designed for pouring rather than drinking. However, the perforations are such that there is a risk of spillage, unless the cup was tilted at a shallow angle, or if the contents had a high viscosity.

Elementary my dear Watson!!!

To me this looks like a shaving mug. I've seen similar inserts before. Maybe someone can back this theory up a tad. I've been unable to find a picture that supports this but I'm a little jet lagged.

It could also be used for Absinthe, keeping to the alcoholic beverage theme.

Absinthe goes into mug, Sugar cube goes into strainer, water is poured over top of sugar cube to dissolve & dilute all in one go.

Or at least that's what I'd use it for.

Shaving mug sounds right to me.

How big is it?

It's not very large. 3-3/4" high and 3-1/4" diameter.
I wouldn't have thought shaving mug in a thousand years. Real outside the box thinking on this tiki conundrum.

The powers of deductive reasoning exhibited here are impressive. :)

The size sounds about right for a shaving mug. Below is a picture that shows a couple different shaving mugs, the one on the right would be the type you have.

A mustache mug would have an opening on the very bottom of the mug and a shield for the facial hair. Very similar items but completely different. I'm sure wikipedia has more than you'd like to know on the topic.

[ Edited by: sporkboyofjustice 2007-07-18 15:28 ]

sporkboy, m'boy!
I do believe you have cracked this case wide open. A shaving mug. No wonder this one had me worked up into a lather. It has to go into the books as one strange mug! Many thanks to you and everyone.

Well I'm glad I could help on this one. With the mug itself it looks really familiar. It may be in the home made section of Tiki Quest. I'd check myself but I just moved and all of my books and tiki mugs are still hiding in boxes. Can anyone verify this? I want to say it's an ugly white and red glaze in the book but I'd have to see it.

It could be that ceramics shop was playing around with the mold to make something a little more specialized for a good client. Shaving mugs were more popular in the 60s so this fits. For sure it's a really interesting piece.