SACRED VESSEL No. 11

Gallery NO. DV - 2026 - 11

Created April 2026

Lord, Have Mercy

Black Magma Orthodox Stoneware Coffee Cup

The Ascetic Cup is a one-of-a-kind stoneware cup bearing one of the most ancient and continually repeated prayers of Orthodox Christianity.

Stamped into the clay are the words LORD HAVE MERCY.

Heard throughout the Divine Liturgy and the daily services of the Church, these words form one of the simplest yet most complete prayers of the Christian heart: a turning toward God in humility and trust.

The vessel is enveloped in the elemental surface of Black Magma, creating a dark, rugged texture reminiscent of aged cast iron with a glossy Opal Interior. Though formed entirely from stoneware, its surface gives the visual impression of an object forged from iron and marked by fire—substantial in appearance without the physical weight of metal.

Created for daily use yet carrying the presence of an artifact, Lord, Have Mercy brings the language of prayer into the ordinary ritual of the table.

The Inscription

LORD HAVE MERCY

Few prayers are more deeply woven into Orthodox worship. Repeated throughout the liturgical life of the Church, Lord, have mercy is more than a plea for forgiveness. It calls upon the compassion, healing, protection, and loving presence of God.

Individually stamped into the clay, the words possess a restrained and almost archival character. The impressed lettering becomes permanently embedded within the body of the vessel, preserved through the transformative action of fire.

Surface & Form

The exterior is finished in Black Magma, producing a deeply textured, cratered surface reminiscent of weathered cast iron and cooled volcanic stone. Natural variations created within the kiln give the cup an elemental quality that cannot be precisely reproduced.

Despite its iron-like appearance, the vessel retains the more comfortable weight and tactile character of high-fired stoneware. This tension between appearance and material gives the work much of its distinctive presence—it appears forged, weathered, and heavy with age, yet remains a functional ceramic vessel intended to be held and used.

The stamped inscription emerges quietly from the dark mineral surface, allowing one of the Church's most familiar prayers to become part of the physical architecture of the cup.

This work belongs to The SACRED COLLECTION, a curated body of stoneware defined by dark volcanic textures, cratered surfaces, and forms transformed through the elemental movement of the kiln.

Details

Collection: The SACRED COLLECTION

Form: Handmade Orthodox stoneware coffee cup

Material: High-fired stoneware

Inscription: LORD HAVE MERCY

Language: English

Inscription Method: Individually stamped into the clay

Exterior: Black Magma

Interior: Opal Gloss

Surface: Cratered, volcanic, cast-iron-like texture

Dimensions: 3 in (H) × 2.5 in (W)

Approximate Capacity: 7 fl oz

Approximate Weight: 11 oz

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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