# Research on the language of tourist mugs

Below are preserved observations on the open pages and individual author's proposals for Guangdong. The adaptation proposal does not imply copying the original drawing. The historical collection is not declared available for purchase today.

10 sources, 10 companies/organizations, 8 countries. Moomin Arabia and Maxwell & Williams are included as related collectible, not urban tourist examples. Historical collections are not declared available for purchase today.

## Royal Delft — Blueware Mug

Netherlands

**Observation:** In the photo, a white mug with a blue landscape: mills and water are enclosed in a shaped cartouche, surrounded by vegetal scrolls and large flowers. Outlines coexist with tonal blue hatching; ceramic is visible between the ornament. This is not strictly a monochrome flat print: the photo shows several tonal levels of blue.

**Original interpretation:** Unfold the verified Guangdong tea zones into 4–6 open cartouches. Inside — terraces, pickers and characteristic mountains of the respective zone; between the cartouches — tea leaves and small port motifs. Limit the new drawing to one cobalt or cobalt with indigo, conveying tone by stroke frequency. The only word in the minimal version is GUANGDONG. No white fills inside the frames, mills or Dutch flowers.

[Open source](https://royaldelft.com/en/products/mok).

## Emma Bridgewater — London 1/2 Pint Mug

United Kingdom

**Observation:** In the large photograph, a row of buildings of varying heights with thin black architectural details; the walls are tinted ochre, pink, brick, and muted green. Below the architecture is a separate small procession of people. The upper background is open; the word LONDON is visible on the inner side near the rim.

**Original interpretation:** Build a Guangdong tea theater: upper rhythm of mountains, terraces and roofs; lower narrow chain of pickers, baskets and a caravan. 5–6 colors, black fine detailing. Architecture serves as transitions between tea zones, not as the protagonist. For the geographic variant, arrange episodes according to a verified map; for the random one, alternate high/low and wide/narrow episodes.

[Open source](https://www.emmabridgewater.co.uk/products/london-1-2-pint-mug-1?variant=39568083157064).

## America’s National Parks — Passport Cancellation Mug

USA

**Observation:** The photograph shows a large uneven round medallion and light typography on a dark blue outer surface. On the visible white inner wall there are multicolored round stamps. From the photograph it cannot be claimed that the stamps cover the outer side.

**Original interpretation:** Create an imaginary tea travel passport: separate round stamps with miniatures of plantation, mountains, picking or tea processing. In the English version the stamp is signed with a verified zone name; in the main-title-only version there are no small words — pictograms and circles remain. 2 colors or 6 colors by zones. We transfer the stamp language, but not the dark solid body and not the official organization sign.

[Open source](https://shop.americasnationalparks.org/collections/drinkware/products/passport-cancellation-mug).

## Starbucks Japan — Been There Series NAGANO 414 ml

Japan

**Observation:** Large blue drawn NAGANO above a central circular starry sky scene. Around it are separately placed outline mountains, skis, an animal, flowers, and other local motifs. Blue lines combine with small warm accents; light surface remains between the drawings. In the product reference, two blue tones are named as key, but the photo also shows accents of other colors.

**Original interpretation:** Guangdong as a rich collection of local tea scenes with one strong center. Instead of a filled night circle — an open circle of leaves and mountain lines; around it — distinct tea zones, terraces, and people's work. Preserve the pleasure of examining small details and the large headline, but redesign the typeface, rhythm, and symbols, without the logo and branded Starbucks paper cup.

[Open source](https://menu.starbucks.co.jp/4524785464766).

## Vista Alegre — Alma de Lisboa — Mug, ref. 21109529

Portugal

**Observation:** It is on the available photograph of this official card that a large dark trunk with spreading branches and small olive leaves is visible, and at the base a pale green spot. Despite the name of the city collection, the viewed angle does not show a city collage or azulejo; attributing them to this photograph is not possible.

**Original interpretation:** Tea geography tree: a large botanical branch unites small separate scenes of verified tea zones. Leaves may change 5–6 colors by zone, while figures and terraces occupy the gaps. Do not carry over the pale green source spot; background and internal voids fully transparent. This is a free structural metaphor, not a geographic map.

[Open source](https://vistaalegre.com/PT/alma-de-lisboa-caneca-21109529-pt?m=l).

## Dunoon — Glencoe Tour of London

United Kingdom

**Observation:** The photo shows a dense illustrated city map: large buildings against interwoven streets, many small names and drawings, large red LONDON in the top panel. Yellow-ochre land and blue water occupy almost the entire outer drawing. Details resemble a hand-drawn guide.

**Original interpretation:** Guangdong tea atlas: correct relative placement of zones, mountains, rivers, and main tea episodes; names in English only. Keep saturation, scale hierarchies, and travel logic; remove colored land and water. Draw rivers as a pair of thin lines, routes as sparse dotted lines, and separate each scene with a transparent gap.

[Open source](https://www.dunoonmugs.co.uk/GLEN-TOUR-OF-LONDON/product/GL-TOUL-XX/GL-TOUL-XX/).

## Maxwell & Williams × Pete Cromer — Pete Cromer — Woodland Creatures mugs

Australia

**Observation:** On the official page, mugs with a raccoon, bear, skunk, and otter were viewed: a large animal silhouette is assembled from nested organic color shapes, spots, and curved ribbons. The drawing reads from a distance; on the mugs shown, a large surface of the body is also colored. This is a collectible illustrative example, not an urban tourist one.

**Original interpretation:** Six colored tea worlds: large silhouettes of a tea leaf, baskets, mountains or sails are assembled from small geometric episodes of picking and production. Use exactly 5–6 flat colors and organic collage, without source animals and without a colored rectangular background. Each silhouette must have transparent internal gaps; distribute the silhouettes freely.

[Open source](https://www.maxwellandwilliams.com.au/tableware/tableware-shop-by-artist/pete-cromer/).

## Rifle Paper Co. — New York Porcelain Mug

USA

**Observation:** On the shown side there is a very large antique-style city inscription, a red apple of comparable scale, small independent symbols, and a green Broadway sign. Above and below there is a narrow black-and-light checkerboard border. The red accent is repeated on the handle and rim. The degree of simplification of the symbols differs greatly from the fine architectural engraving.

**Original interpretation:** Typographic Guangdong: a huge elegant GUANGDONG occupies the main axis, a tea leaf or sail enters the rhythm of the letters; around it are separate concise tea scenes. 5–6 of muted but contrasting colors; two torn geometric borders are assembled from leaves and tea rows. No apples, New York signs, or foreign names; the space behind the letters is transparent.

[Open source](https://riflepaperco.com/products/new-york-porcelain-mug).

## Moomin Arabia — Moomin mug 0.3 L True to its origins

Finland

**Observation:** The photograph shows a narrative interior scene executed in dense black hatching on light ceramic. The stroke direction changes on the floor, walls and objects; light figures stand out due to the surroundings. Small orange-ochre accents are visible on individual items. This is a literary collector's illustration, not a city souvenir.

**Original interpretation:** Guangdong tea novella: independent scenes of people picking, sorting and processing, subtle plantation rows and mountains, one black color plus an amber accent. Replace dense background hatching walls with separate open vignettes. Original human characters, no Moomin characters; main text only GUANGDONG.

[Open source](https://www.moominarabia.com/products/moomin-mug-0-3l-true-to-its-origins).

## Villeroy & Boch — NewWave Caffè New York — Cities of the World

Germany

**Observation:** In an official historical publication, a photo of the set was viewed: on white mugs, individual greatly enlarged city objects, including clocks and a high-rise building, are rendered in thin dark lines; parts of the details are highlighted in yellow. Between the objects there is open white ceramic. The composition is object-based and asymmetrical; a plate with cartographic lines is shown nearby.

**Original interpretation:** Tea architecture: large fragments of bushes, twisted leaves, tea baskets and terraces alternate with small figures of workers and several bridges. Black filigree line plus one warm color, deliberate contrast of scales, much transparency. A variant can be made without any small names, only GUANGDONG; the source series itself is dated 2013.

[Open source](https://blog.villeroy-boch.com/2013/08/newwave-caffe-new-york/).