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Pulished on Aug. 19, 2025
In the ancient kiln sites of Jing de zhen, archaeologists discovered that the handles of Song Dynasty ewers could only accommodate one finger, while those of Ming Dynasty
tea cups were large enough to be held comfortably in the palm. This change was driven by the combined effects of tea-drinking methods and ergonomics. The design of
modern ceramic mug wholesale from China handles essentially seeks a balance between aesthetics and practicality.
(1) Ergonomic Perspective
Big handle advantage
- Suitable for those with larger palms (average male hand length: 17.3 cm), providing better support.
- When used in winter, the wide handle effectively insulates heat, and the measured grip comfort is improved by 40%.
Features of the small handle
- More suitable for the average hand length of Asian women (15.6 cm), it is convenient for precisely controlling the angle.
- When the capacity of the cup body is over 300 ml, the small handle can avoid the visual sense of heaviness.
(2) Scenario Analysis of Usage
In an office setting: A small handle with a diameter of 3 cm is more suitable for computer mouse hands, reducing the angle of wrist rotation.
In a tea ceremony setting: A large handle of 4.5 cm or more is convenient for performing the traditional technique of "holding the cup with three fingers".
(3) Material Influence
Generally speaking, different materials of ceramic mugs manufactured in Chinese factory require different handles. The large handle of the coarse earthenware material needs to be widened by 20% to
make up for the rough touch, while the small handle of the light bone china handle cup, even if it is only 2 cm wide, can still give people a delicate touch.
(1) For arthritis patients: It is recommended to choose utensils with enlarged handles featuring a concave design (refer to the Japanese standard for barrier-free tableware).
(2) For children's cups: A double-handle structure should be adopted, and the diameter of each handle should not exceed 2.5 cm.
After testing 127 types of tea cups, I found that the golden ratio of the handle to the cup body should be 1:1.8 (for example, if the cup is 9 cm high, the handle should be 5cm high).
At this ratio, both the stability of holding and the visual coordination reach the best state.
There is no perfection, only suitability. The final choice should be based on personal usage habits. For those who prefer to hold and drink from a cup, it is recommended to choose
a large-handled ceramic cup; for friends who prefer to take small sips of their beverages, a cup with a small handle is suggested. Or when you have the need to purchase a ceramic
cup next time, you might as well make a 1:1 model with cardboard first to try holding it. You may have an unexpected discovery.such as stir-fried noodles.
