The Goblet: Ritual, Symbolism and Ceramic Tradition

From left to right, top to bottom: Beatrice Wood/Dan Arbeid (V&A)/ Ania Perkowska/ Ania Perkowska/ Unknown/ Indiana Jones Holy Grail/ Beatrice Wood/ Persian (V&A)/ Anglo Saxon/ Etruscan Chalice/ German Chalice (Metropolitan Museum of Art)/ Cypriot Chalice/ Avar or Byzantine Goblet (Metropolitan Museum of Art)/ Medieval goblet/ Beatrice Wood

As part of my recent coil-building experiments, I chose to make a goblet form. While technically challenging, I was drawn to the shape because of its long association with ritual, ceremony and communal acts. Unlike many everyday vessels, the goblet carries a symbolic weight that extends far beyond its practical function as a drinking vessel.

The history of the goblet stretches back thousands of years. Elevated drinking vessels appear in many ancient cultures, including those of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome. The raised stem distinguished the vessel from ordinary cups and bowls, often associating it with status, celebration or religious practice. In many societies, drinking from a goblet was not merely an act of hydration but a performative gesture embedded within social and ceremonial customs.

Perhaps the most enduring association of the goblet in Western culture is with ritual and sacred ceremony. Religious traditions have long used elevated drinking vessels to contain wine or other symbolic liquids. The Christian chalice, for example, is central to the Eucharist, where the act of drinking becomes a shared ritual that connects participants through repeated actions and collective belief. This connection between vessel and ceremony is one reason I find the form so compelling. The goblet is not simply an object; it is often a participant in an event.

The goblet also occupies an important place in mythology and folklore. From the legendary Holy Grail to ceremonial drinking horns and medieval feasting vessels, elevated cups have frequently been associated with power, transformation and the supernatural. Such objects often signify transitions between the ordinary and the sacred, reinforcing the idea that drinking can be both a physical and symbolic act.

Within ceramics, goblets have been produced across cultures and periods, from ancient earthenware vessels to highly refined porcelain and stoneware examples. Their continued appearance in ceramic practice demonstrates the enduring appeal of the form. Potters have often used goblets as opportunities to explore balance, proportion and technical skill. The relationship between bowl, stem and foot creates structural challenges while also allowing for expressive variation in profile and surface treatment.

Contemporary ceramic artists continue to revisit the goblet form, often using it to investigate ideas of ritual, memory, identity and social interaction. In a world where many traditional rituals have become less visible, the goblet remains a potent symbol of gathering, celebration and shared experience. It can evoke both historical traditions and contemporary questions about how communities are formed through repeated actions and collective behaviours.

My own interest in the goblet stems from these associations. I am fascinated by the way certain objects become embedded within rituals and how repeated gestures can create meaning over time. A goblet is designed to be held, raised, shared and used in a particular way. Its form actively shapes behaviour. This relationship between object, action and meaning is something I hope to continue exploring through my ceramic practice.

Although my recent goblet was not entirely successful from a technical perspective, creating it reinforced my interest in the form. Its rich historical associations and continued relevance within contemporary ceramics make it a subject worthy of further investigation and development.