- Quaich
A Quaich (pronEng|ˈkweɪx), archaically Quaigh, is a special kind of shallow two-handled drinking cup or bowl in
Scotland . It derives from theScottish Gaelic "cuach" meaning a cup.According to the
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica , the quaich was inspired by the low silver bowls with two flat handles frequently used as bleeding vessels in England and Holland in the 17th century.Traditionally they are made of wood, an artform known as "treen". Quaichs often have different colours and are supported by hoops. They are generally fitted with two, and, more rarely, three short projecting handles. In addition to wood, they are made of stone, brass, pewter, horn, and of silver. The latter were often engraved with lines and bands in imitation of the staves and hoops of the wooden quaichs.
The origin of quaichs in Scotland is traced to the Highlands; it was not until the end of the 17th century that they became popular in such large centres as Edinburgh and Glasgow. The silversmiths of such local guilds as Inverness and Perth frequently mounted them in silver, as may be seen from the hall-marks on the existing examples.
Commemorative quaichs awarded as prizes, or given as gifts, are more commonly made of
pewter orsilver . These prize cups are rarely used for actual drinking.The English and Colonial American counterpart of the Scottish quaich is the
porringer , made with a single handle. The Sami andNorrland ,Sweden , equivalents are thepahkakuppi and thekåsa , which also only have a single handle.The quaich was used for
whisky orbrandy , and in the 19th century SirWalter Scott dispensed drams in silver quaichs, but the quaich he kept for himself was particularly precious to him.In 1745 the quaich had travelled from
Edinburgh toDerby with the Scottish Army inBonnie Prince Charlie 's canteen.Some quaich's bottoms are made of glass, allegedly so that the drinker could keep watch on his companions. A more romantic quaich had a double glass bottom in which was kept a lock of hair so that the owner could drink from his quaich to his lady love, and, in
1589 ,King James VI of Scotland gaveAnne of Denmark a quaich or "loving cup" as a wedding gift.ee also
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Loch Quoich
*Centenary Quaich External links
* [http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow_quaich.htm Did You Know? - The Quaich]
* [http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~quaich/ What is the St. Andrews Quaich Society?]
* [http://www.thequaichcompany.com The Quaich Company (Scotland) Ltd] - Quaich Retailer
* [http://www.christeningsilver.com/Christening-Bowls-Dishes/default.aspx Christening Silver] - Quaich Retailer
* [http://www.mullsilver.co.uk/ Isle of Mull silver and goldsmiths] - Quaich Retailer
* [http://www.scotch-corner.co.uk/ Scotch Corner] - Quaich Retailer
* [http://www.thetartanbox.com The Tartan Box Scottish Product Internet Shop] - Quaich Retailer
* [http://montbleau.ca/Scotch/Quaich.htm The Quaich by Pierre Montbleau] - Pierre Montbleau
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