Some Forms Stay With Us
Every spring, the shores of the Bosphorus are briefly transformed by the bloom of the Judas trees. Their violet blossoms appear almost quietly, yet they return with remarkable certainty. For years, they have come to represent renewal—not as spectacle, but as something deeply familiar.
Kybele began with those blossoms.
The first sketches were simply an exploration of their layered, unfolding form. I wasn't looking for symbolism. I was following shape, proportion, and movement. Yet as the design evolved, another presence slowly emerged. The petals softened into a silhouette I hadn't intended to draw.
Only later did I recognise what it reminded me of: Kybele, the ancient Mother Goddess of Anatolia.
Perhaps that recognition was inevitable. I grew up with an archaeologist father, surrounded by excavation stories, museum visits, and fragments of civilizations carried quietly into everyday life. Cultural memory has a way of settling beneath conscious thought. Sometimes it returns not through intention, but through making.
Across Anatolia, Mother Goddess figures have long embodied fertility, creativity, and the continuity of life. Rather than recreating those ancient forms, Kybele gently echoes the values they represent. It is less a symbol than a quiet remembrance.
Its experience is therefore as tactile as it is visual.
The rounded body settles naturally into the palm. Held in the hand, it feels less like a vessel and more like an object that invites closeness. I have always believed that the ritual of drinking begins before the first sip—with the simple gesture of holding.
Creating that feeling required years of experimentation with double-walled Limoges porcelain. Achieving a delicate air chamber between two remarkably thin walls, while preserving the integrity of handmade production, became a slow dialogue between material and craft. The process evolved gradually, refined by hand until comfort and lightness felt inseparable.
The double-wall construction keeps beverages warm for longer while the exterior remains cool enough to hold without a handle. Lightweight yet resilient, it is designed for everyday use rather than special occasions. Its transparent glazed interior preserves the true character of coffee and tea, while the matte exterior offers a soft, understated touch. Though conceived for Turkish coffee and espresso, its 75 ml form welcomes both warm and chilled drinks with equal ease.
Some objects do more than perform a function.
They quietly shape the rhythm of everyday rituals.
The first coffee of the morning.
A thoughtful pause.
A conversation that lingers.
Kybele was created to become part of those moments—not simply as a cup, but as an object that makes them feel a little more meaningful.