Ceramic work · 2026
Horse-Shaped Cup
Horse-Shaped Cup is a ceramic work by Slava Romanenko, created as a New Year gift for his mother with the coming Year of the Horse in mind. The body of the cup becomes the horse’s body, while its handle is transformed into a curved tail.
| Artist | Slava Romanenko |
| Year | 2026 |
| Material | Fired clay |
| Dimensions | 10.5 × 16 × 7.5 cm height × width × depth |
A family memory shaped into a gift
About the Work
Slava conceived Horse-Shaped Cup as a New Year gift for his mother. The choice of a horse was personal. When they were younger, Slava and his older brother Gleb often went horse riding together. Those rides became warm family memories and helped shape Slava’s lasting affection for horses.
The main volume is a cup, yet it also reads as the horse’s body. The head, four legs, mane, saddle and tail create a single sculptural character. The recognisable form of a cup remains visible, while each added detail strengthens the image of the horse.
Slava did not initially plan to include a saddle. He decided to add one while working because riding in a saddle was part of his own experience. This detail connects the horse not only with a familiar image, but also with Slava’s personal memories.
Creation timeline
The piece was formed in 2025 and completed after its firings in early 2026.
Design solution
A Tail That Became the Handle
The cup handle also needed to serve as the horse’s tail. If the entire tail had followed the long curve of the handle, it would have looked disproportionately long. Slava found another solution: he shaped the handle as a broad arc and let the sculpted strands of the tail descend only to its midpoint. The tail remains clearly recognisable without disturbing the proportions of the horse.
The cup, the horse and the tail-handle
Views
Photographs from different angles show how the rounded cup form develops into the horse’s head, legs and tail. Side views reveal the raised saddle, the front view focuses on the head, and the rear view shows how the tail is integrated into the handle.
The cup opening, head, saddle and tail
Details
Close-up photographs reveal the hand-worked surface: the strands of the mane and tail, the features of the head, the raised saddle and the stirrup. After the milk treatment and second firing, the clay retained its natural texture and acquired a warm, varied tone.
A complete view of the form
Video
In the video, Horse-Shaped Cup turns slowly so that the cup form, the horse’s head and legs, the raised saddle, the vessel opening and the handle combined with the tail can be seen in sequence.
From the idea of a gift to the final firing
Making the Work
The piece brings together a personal idea, childhood memories, the search for a convincing handle design, and a ceramic process involving milk treatment and a second firing.
01
Learning environment
Created During Ceramics Classes
Slava formed the cup in 2025 during classes at the Ceramics and Pottery studio of the Kyiv Palace of Children and Youth, under the guidance of Yuliia Kopylova.
02
Personal idea
A Gift and a Memory of Horses
The cup was conceived as a New Year gift for Slava’s mother, with the coming Year of the Horse in mind. Its subject grew from Slava’s childhood memories: he and his older brother Gleb often went horse riding together, and his affection for horses became part of this family story.
03
Developing the form
The Saddle and Tail-Handle
Slava did not initially intend to add a saddle, but changed the design because he was used to riding in one. The handle created another challenge: a tail following its full length would have looked too long, so Slava allowed the modelled strands to descend only to the middle of the handle’s curve.
04
Completing the piece
Waiting for the Firings
Because of prolonged wartime power outages in Ukraine, the studio kiln was unavailable for a period. The work, formed in 2025, could therefore be fired only in early 2026. After the first firing, the surface was treated with milk and the cup was fired again. Slava’s mother received the gift after New Year.