How did the mug stand come about and what is it actually called?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The mug holder is now becoming a familiar fixture in every home, whether it's a family home or a bachelor's apartment. This little item packs a lot of punch – it helps preserve the surface of tables, decorates interiors, is relatively inexpensive, and even collectible.

In our country, interest in this attribute is just beginning to grow, while in the West a practical and inexpensive accessory has been used for a long time. In addition, this item has its own history as well as manufacturing standards. How did the mug stand come about? What is the name of this accessory and what can it be made of? We learn from a short digression into history.

Beerdekel, bonfire, Birmat or tatsek?

It turns out that the coaster under the mug has a name - coaster. This word comes from the German bierdeckel, which means "beer lid". It would seem, what does the cover have to do with it? It's all about the widespread tradition of Germany in the 19th century to cover beer mugs with lids to protect the drink from insects and dust. Onlyfor rich people, the lids were made of tin and were non-removable, while less we althy citizens covered the beer with round pieces of felt. It was on these felt coasters that mugs of beer were sometimes placed to remove dripping foam.

The Germans liked the idea of putting a mug on a mat to absorb excess moisture so much that in 1893 they patented a more practical water-absorbing cardboard coaster. This is how the Birmat appeared, from the English beermat (beer - beer, mat - rug). A beer mug stand can also be called tatsek (in Czech). But if we are talking about an ordinary cup that needs a hot stand, then the word bonfire (from the English coaster) is more often used, which means “cup mat.”

What are coasters used for?

Mug holder turns out to be a very functional accessory. In a stylish kitchen, such a piece of furniture is able to place the missing accents, or add comfort. In addition, not all surfaces are resistant to moisture or temperature, so a coaster will help prevent untimely damage to the table. It will also protect against possible scratches that mugs leave on glass and varnished surfaces.

Another main function that water coasters have spread to drinking establishments is their use as a marketing tool. Back in the 19th century, it was noticed what effect of information susceptibility gives pleasant emotions that a person experiences in relation to drinks. It was at this moment that a stand for a mug caught my eye. Photo printing on a stand is a trend of our time, but beer brands and names of establishments have been placed on coasters since the end of the 19th century, because the advertising merits of this item can hardly be overestimated.

Shapes and materials

The original cup holder, in the form in which we see it every day, was made of pressed cardboard in the form of a circle with a diameter of just over 10 cm and a thickness of 5 mm. Today, manufacturers and home craftsmen come up with new coasters of various shapes from all kinds of materials every day. And if a company that manufactures coasters for beer producers or drinking establishments must take into account the hygroscopicity of the material and its thickness, then there are no restrictions for an interior mug coaster.

There are two main categories of coaster shapes - simple and complex. Round and square coasters can be simple, but complex shapes are distinguished by polygonal, curved surfaces and in the form of silhouettes of objects. In addition, today a cup holder is not just a felt piece of fabric. The accessory can be made of anything: wood, stones, porcelain, leather, shells, glass or cork. Coasters are even knitted or use polished agate cuts.

Tegestology

Today, a cup holder is not only a functional piece of furniture or a marketing tool. Many are fond of collecting coasters, devoting this hobbya lot of time and effort. Surprisingly, the official Latin term for such an activity is tegestology (from the word tegetis - “rug”), and the collectors themselves are called tegestologists.

Most of all tagologists live in Germany, in the homeland of the accessory. For them, in the middle of the 20th century, a special society was created under the name "Collectors of beer paraphernalia", which has international status. Tegestology clubs are common in the UK, as well as in Wales and Australia. There are several categories of coaster collectors, for example, some are only interested in ceramic or felt coasters.