This is a traditional Siberian Charka cup hand-carved from selected aged Siberian Birch tree and treated with a mix of natural organic oils and bees wax.
Charka (Russian) or Kuksa/Guksi (Finnish: kuksa; Swedish: kåsa) is a type of drinking cup traditionally crafted by the people of the Northern Russia or northern Scandinavia from carved birch burl.
These particular Charka cups are custom handcrafted by an artist from Siberia (Russia) from birch wood and treated with beeswax and oil.
Procedure :
charkas are crafted according to an ancient recipe: the artist cuts them out of a raw log, boils them in salt for several hours, then drys them for several weeks, finally process them, cut off the salt stains, level the shape, close the wood pores with a sharp chisel, bake in the oven (depending on the desired colour) and finally covers a cup with natural oil and beeswax.
Today, a traditional charka is difficult to find outside Siberia or northern Scandinavia, partly because burls are seldom harvested in modern mechanized forestry. With the introduction of glass, ceramic and metal drinkingware, the skill of making a such artwork has become a pastime skill rather than the essential one as it was in the past. Nowadays it is also used for bushcraft. When used this way, it is carved by the person who is going to use it, or it's a gift from a friend.
