Know before you buy

Know before you buy from Susurri

How to buy from Susurri

Before you make a purchase, please do:

Consider that making a committed purchase is the best way to support a small business.
Research the maker, signature colours, textures and marks on their handmade works. We provide their instagram links and websites so you can verify characteristic styles for each artist.
Take Dimensions, Capacity, and item Condition into account.
Measure any storage space where the cup needs to fit.
Measure the volume size of your drinks.
Consider how the vessel will suit your preferences and collecting desires.

Making your expectations and my passion align and nerding out on some cups.

For you: Sips and Space

I want you to be happy and certain with your purchase.

You're wanting to purchase a piece of artwork made in a different culture. I'd like to fulfil your excitement and expectations as reasonably as I can.

The best way to match expectations with reality is with images and measurements that can't be misinterpreted. I endeavour to capture these on the website.

I try my best to source drinkware sized for a Western lifestyle. Japanese, Chinese and Taiwanese handmade mugs tend to be smaller. It would be very frustrating to receive a beautiful vessel only to find out it's too large or small.

I believe the number of sips you can get out of a drink matters. It does for me, as I make pour over coffees every day.

Another consideration is your storage space. I have had rare instances where a beloved cup won't fit on my shelves (hello Hasami Porcelain!). I'd like to help you avoid that.

For Susurri: Please be Considerate

Our modern world is filled with temptations to not value or treasure. Let's not do that to each other.

I started this fledgling business to meet other people who want to drink from excellent artworks every day. I hope our exchange is one with mutual respect.

A purchase made with consideration, knowing the vessels are treasures you'll keep and care for, are the best ways to support my one-person endeavour. It makes my effort feel worthwhile!

Of course I'll adhere to UK consumer laws for a 14-day cooling off period. At the same time, I hope you understand that wherever possible, I'd like to avoid excessive requests for refund and exchanges due to impulse purchases. It drains passion and business resource.

For these reasons, I have created this guide. I hope it is helpful to you.

Please research the maker, signature colours, textures and marks on their handmade works. This website provides their instagram links and websites on the Maker's pages so you can verify characteristic styles for each artist.

Susurri puts a lot of care into letting you know about a product's size, and endeavour to represent its condition and texture via thorough imagery.

Slight visual and dimensional variations: That said, there can be slight measurement errors (up to 0.5cm) and colour differences due to photographic equipment, lighting and differing monitor displays.

Textures, marks and imperfections: Susurri chooses products with "intentional imperfections" in varying conditions so folks in the UK can have access to vessels imbued with Japanese and Asian aesthetics.

Imperfections left behind by the artist's signature making techniques are inherent values to the products in this store.

Please understand that the vessels you receive may bear the following traits and marks. These are not considered faulty:

Unless otherwise stated and pictured, most products come without tomboko, artist signed boxes, printed artist bios, or catalogues
Some artists do not stamp or sign their works
Distorted or warped shapes, rims, and bases
Glaze cracks, many of which intentionally let stains seep in over time
Stones or mineral crystals bursting through uneven surfaces
Slight body cracks, usually covered by glaze so are food-safe
Chips off the body or glaze which do not affect functionality or food safety, and are noted in applicable product listing
Mending, always photographed and noted in applicable product listing
Unsanded roughness
Carved marks

▸ Full instructions and policies on Exchanges and Returns can be found here.

Susurri has a 14-day Money Back Guarantee, in accordance with UK consumer Law.

Deductions from your refund will be made:

If returned order is found have been used to contact any food, liquid or cleaning agents.
If the order is returned using inadequate couriers, or packaged insufficiently causing damage during transit.

Why Susurri?

Delivery Service: Susurri uses the Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm service, which covers loss and damage up to £750. This means you can be fully refunded if:

Your order arrives damaged
Your order is stolen on doorstep
The parcel is lost during delivery

It will be Susurri's responsibility to deal with these scenarios.

This delivery service comes with

Tracking
Next day by 1pm delivery guaranteed, upon despatch
Signature on delivery
Optional Saturday delivery service for £6.70

Packaging: Susurri has developed a robust packaging protocol using materials and void fills to protect fragile ceramics that survive 2 months of international courier delivery from Asian countries to the UK.

Your ceramic pieces will be protected with double-walled corrugated box, layers of tissue, paper bubble wrap, compostable void fill and air column.

Drinkable stories about making and living from outside the UK

I introduce diversity of ceramic creativity from Taiwan, Japan, China and beyond. They elevate your drinking rituals while joining the culture of British studio pottery.

Thoughtful craftsmanship beyond appearances

I select functional, drinking objects whose beauty embody discerning creation and considerate use of material, form and surface decoration.

Whether handcrafted, manufactured, by small studios or bigger companies, the chosen vessels have all been graced by deep thinking crafts people.

Meeting like-minded people who appreciate using art every day

I understand that the price of vessels in Susurri exceeds that of many other functional mugs and cups at a lower price.

If you love studying the form, tactility and surface Keshki of ceramics and aren't afraid of using pieces of art in your daily life, you are the reason why I founded Susurri.

I hope these ceramic vessels give people a chance to have conversations within themselves in a quiet beverage moment; and with other kindred spirits, about topics like craftspeople, tradition and mastery.

What makes a Susurri selected item worthy of joining your selection?

I hunt for ceramics which meet these criteria:

1. Excellent craftsmanship

High achievements in craftsmanship expressed in function, form, material, glaze development and technique.

2. Stories worth sharing

The making, signature style and technique are rarely seen in the UK, highly specific to each maker and manufacturer.

3. Timelessness

Vessels whose aesthetics and function will outlast changing fads.

4. Everyday usefulness

Size and function chosen for how the UK dines. Most Japanese, Chinese and Taiwanese coffee mugs are made much smaller than average mugs in the UK.

Know what you're buying

Provenance

Acquisition provenance are stated on each product page.

Unless otherwise stated, all items are sourced via Sale from Private Individuals. Few items are purchased directly from galleries or dealers.

All purchases made on an As Is Basis

Items are sold in their current condition, meaning buyers accept any defects, damage, or previous restorations.

If an item is vintage or used, I only acquire pieces with no visible stains on them. If the item has damages or flaws or have been mended, I only acquire on the basis that they do not affect functionality.

Imagery

At Susurri I endeavours to capture all facets of a product's surface using the equipment I have. Images can be zoomed in on. Where there are marks or damages these will be noted on the product page in its own section.

Please review these carefully so you are not surprised when you receive an item.

Item Condition

New or Unused

Completely unused except for weighing with clean water.

Vintage

Items at least 20–100 years old that represent a specific era's style, regardless of usage by previous owner.

Used

Declared as having been used to consume water or other drinks, at time of sale transfer to Susurri.

Pre-owned regardless of age or style.

Excellent Condition

No stains, cracks, scratches or damage caused by usage.

Other undeclared, non-usage marks deemed part of intentional craftsmanship.

Good Condition

No stains.

Minor scratches, cracks, or damage caused by usage but do not affect functionality.

Other undeclared, non-usage marks deemed part of intentional craftsmanship.

Mended

Visible signs of mending made by the previous owner, such as with Kintsugi.

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As all dimensional measurements are measured by hand and human eye on many items which are sculptural, there might be slight discrepancies.

If dimensions are important to you, for example due to storage, please measure the space to ensure ample threshold.

Drinkware Measurements

Rounded up to the nearest millimeter (mm) and grams (g)

Ø – Rim Diameter

Measures the full width of the cup rim diameter.

If the vessel isn't optically round, the narrower width is taken.

D – Depth of Vessel Body

This is the measurement of a different, wider dimension on the vessel's liquid containing body excluding the handle.

It is taken when

The shape is not optically cylindrical.
The base, body or rim has an area that is wider than the rim diameter.

L – Length Including Handle, if any

This is the linear measurement from the longest, furthest end of the handle to the furthest end of the vessel's liquid containing body.

H – Height

Measured from where base contacts the table to the highest point of the entire cup including any handle.

Weight

Measured using a coffee scale in grams (g).

Measured using a coffee scale, converting weight of water (in grams) inside the cup to the nearest milliliter (ml).

Because it can be difficult to imagine how much a cup can hold, I provide two measurements. It's of course up to you how full you fill the cup.

Full Capacity

Volume of water filled to the brim

80% Capacity

Full Capacity multiplied by 80%

If it's important to you, please measure your routine drink size to determine whether a cup suits before ordering.

This helps measure your expectation against reality.

For each product you see on this website, I've made recommendations for suitable drink sizes based on the vessel's intended function and capacity.

This is meant to give an approximate idea of how much can fit inside a cup, often based on drink sizes found in cafes. It is not meant to be prescriptive or precise.

In addition, I've also recommended suitable foods so you can find many more opportunities to use beautiful vessels. This is because, in Asia, certain cup-like forms can be used interchangeably for drinking, eating soups, noodles, or other savoury food. Sometimes it is even encouraged by the artist, so we continue to connect with a historical vessel on a daily basis.

Below is a set of drink sizes I asked Perplexity AI to create for your reference, measured in millilitres (ml).

Average Drink Sizes in UK Cafés

Short espresso drinks

This includes ristrettos, single and double espressos, lungos, macchiatos, piccolo lattes, and cortados.

30–120ml

Flat whites and cappucinos

150–180ml

Lattes and mochas

220–320ml

Americanos

240–250ml

Filters and batch brews