The Clay Cup That Stayed Home

At the end of the ceramics course, every student could put one object in a small public display. Omar had made six cups, and his tutor admired the smoothest one. It was pale green, perfectly round and almost like something from a shop. Omar knew it was his best technical result.

However, his favourite cup was the first one he had made. Its edge was uneven, and a thumb mark remained near the handle. He could remember every stage of making it. When he held the smooth green cup, he mainly remembered trying not to disappoint the tutor.

He considered displaying the rough cup to prove that personal meaning mattered more than neat work. Then he wondered why the display had to prove anything at all. Both cups belonged to the same course, and each showed a different part of what he had learned during those weeks.

Omar chose the green cup for the display and wrote a short note about practising the shape repeatedly. He kept the first cup at home, where it held paper clips beside his notebook. At the exhibition, visitors asked about his technique. At home, the thumb mark reminded him of his first evening. He was pleased that one object did not have to do both jobs.