Newsletter #134 - Pocillovy
Do you know what an egg cup is?
An egg cup is a very specific piece of tableware designed specifically for eating a soft-boiled egg out of.
Apparently, they date back centuries. According to my very basic research, they found a silver egg cup in the ruins of Pompeii. That's how far back they go.
Ultimately they are a ridiculous item for a person living in the modern world. Why would you ever eat an egg out of a cup? We don't have time for that!
They are interesting looking, though. And it's fun to think about how silly people were in the ancient past.
Have you heard of the term pocillovy? It is the word for the act of collecting egg cups, It's derived from the Latin words for "little cup" and "eggs.”
I just read that an egg cup with a stylized chicken head, wings, and tail, called "Coquetier Poule," sold for $2,080 at the Palm Beach Modern Auctions in Florida in 2021… I think this might be a gold mine!
I called up my friend Nonna and set up a pottery lesson. I need to learn how to make egg cups, so I can start selling my soon-to-be genius egg cup designs to people.
Within minutes I had mastered the pottery wheel and was spinning up my own perfect egg cup designs. As someone who raises chickens, I have an intuitive understanding for how big an egg cup needs to be.
The key to a perfect egg cup is the size of the hole.
I am pleased to announce that I now have my own line of egg cups. I call them Toni's Ultra Luxurious Egg Cups, and you can buy one of these hand-made egg cups for $250.
Each one is unique. Inventory is limited.
A version of this story originally appeared in the fall 2023 issue of LITT Magazine.
Side note: I made that photo of the egg while working on the chicken.photos project. There was also an incubator involved.
But I can’t get into the details now.
I’m busy.
I now have 11 new chicks.
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I recommend the tv show The Great Pottery Throwdown. It’s basically Great British Bake Off for pottery. They make A TON of egg cups. They do speed competitions where they have to throw egg cups “off the hump” meaning they form the little cups out of one big chunk of clay. One of the hosts is emotionally unhinged and either yells at everyone or cries at the beauty of their creations.
Eggs and soldiers - a classic British brekkie!