SACRED VESSEL No. 07
Gallery NO. DV - 2026 - 07
Created June 2026
Blessed Is He - Arabic Orthodox Stoneware Espresso Cup
Hand-Carved Arabic Orthodox Stoneware Espresso Cup
Blessed Is He is a one-of-a-kind stoneware espresso cup bearing in Arabic one of the most recognizable proclamations of Christian worship: مُبَارَكٌ الآتِي بِاسْمِ الرَّبِّ — Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Rooted in the words of Scripture and carried into the liturgical life of the Orthodox Church, the inscription speaks of recognition and expectation—the coming of Christ and the blessing proclaimed in His name.
Carved by hand into the intimate form of an espresso vessel, the Arabic lettering becomes part of the architecture of the cup itself. The warm, earthen surface and restrained form allow the sacred inscription to remain central, creating a vessel that belongs equally to the daily table and to the contemplative visual language of THE RUSSIAN TABLE.
The Inscription
مُبَارَكٌ الآتِي بِاسْمِ الرَّبِّMubārakun al-ātī bi-ismi al-Rabb
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
The proclamation has its roots in Psalm 117 (118) and appears in the Gospel accounts of Christ's entrance into Jerusalem. It remains deeply familiar within Orthodox worship, where the words of Scripture are continually carried into the prayer and liturgical memory of the Church.
Rendered here in Arabic, the inscription also bears witness to the ancient and living Arabic-speaking Orthodox Christian tradition of the Middle East.
Carved individually into the clay, the words are not applied as surface decoration. They become permanently united with the vessel itself—a script held within stoneware and preserved through fire.
Surface & Form
The exterior is finished in a warm Brown Tweed matte surface, giving the small vessel an earthen, softly weathered character reminiscent of aged stone. The restrained exterior provides a quiet ground for the hand-carved Arabic inscription.
The interior is finished in Honey Flux, introducing a lighter mineral tone within the vessel and creating a subtle contrast with the darker exterior.
Its compact proportions are suited to espresso and other small coffee servings, while the individually formed silhouette preserves the subtle irregularities of the maker's hand.
This work belongs to The SACRED COLLECTION, a curated body of stoneware bearing the Arabic language of the Orthodox Christian East—ancient prayers, liturgical proclamations, and words of Scripture carried into clay.
Details
Collection: The Sacred Collection
Form: Handmade Orthodox stoneware espresso cup
Material: High-fired stoneware
Inscription: مُبَارَكٌ الآتِي بِاسْمِ الرَّبِّ
Transliteration: Mubārakun al-ātī bi-ismi al-Rabb
Translation: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord
Inscription Method: Individually hand-carved into the clay
Exterior: Brown Tweed matte
Interior: Alabaster
Dimensions: Approximately 2.75 in. high × 2 in. wide
Capacity: Approximately 2.5–3 fl. oz.
Approximate Weight: 5–7 oz.
Approximate Packaged Shipping Weight: 1–1.5 lb.
Firing: High-fired to Cone 6
Origin: Handmade by DOM VECHERA
Edition: One of one
The earliest works of DOM VECHERA bear DS, the original maker's mark used by Olga before the establishment of the House. These works retain the mark as part of their provenance.
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