Quaich facts for kids

A quaich is a special kind of shallow cup or bowl with two handles, traditionally used in Scotland. The word comes from the Scottish Gaelic word cuach, which means "cup." People often used quaichs for drinking, especially for whisky or brandy.

What is the History of the Quaich?

Quaichs have a long history in Scotland. Some people think they were inspired by small, two-handled silver bowls used in England and the Netherlands a long time ago. Another idea is that they came from scallop shells, but this is probably not true.

A collector named Richard L. McClenahan thought the quaich came from a medieval drinking bowl called a mazer. However, quaichs are very different in shape and material. It's more likely that quaichs developed from small wooden drinking cups that were common in the medieval period, especially around the Baltic Sea. Some of the earliest quaichs were made like small barrels, which supports this idea.

What are Quaichs Made Of?

Traditionally, quaichs were made from wood. This art of making wooden objects is called "treen." Some old quaichs were built with different pieces of wood, like a barrel, sometimes with light and dark wood alternating. These pieces were held together with bands of willow or silver.

Most quaichs have two short handles, but a few have three or even four. Other wooden quaichs were carved from a single piece of wood. Some were even carved with a basket-weave pattern on the outside.

Besides wood, quaichs have also been made from stone, brass, pewter, animal horn, and silver. Silver quaichs often had lines and bands carved into them to look like the wooden ones with their staves (wooden strips) and hoops.

Where Did Quaichs Become Popular?

Quaichs first became popular in the Scottish Highlands. It wasn't until the late 1600s that they started to be used widely in bigger cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow. Silversmiths in places like Inverness and Perth often added silver to quaichs, and you can see their special marks (hallmarks) on old examples.

Today, quaichs are often given as prizes or gifts, especially those made of pewter or silver. These special cups are usually kept as souvenirs and not used for drinking.

What are Similar Drinking Vessels?

Other drinking vessels are similar to the Scottish quaich:

• The porringer is a larger bowl, usually about 15 centimeters (6 inches) wide, with one or two flat handles.
• The Sami people in northern Europe use a cup called a kuksa, which has only one handle.

Famous Quaichs and Their Stories

Quaichs were often used for drinking whisky or brandy. In the 1800s, the famous writer Sir Walter Scott used silver quaichs to serve drinks.

One of the quaichs Sir Walter Scott owned was called the Waterloo Tree Quaich. It was partly made from wood he took from the Waterloo Elm tree. This tree was important because it was where the Duke of Wellington stood during the Battle of Waterloo.

Sir Walter Scott also had other quaichs made from special wood:

• One was made from Falkland Oak.
• Another was made from Queen Mary's yew tree.
• And one was made from the Wallace Oak.

The quaich he kept for himself was made of wood with seven bands. This quaich had a journey from Edinburgh to Derby with Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745 during a historical event.

More recently, wooden quaichs were designed by Paul Hodgkiss and given as gifts to the winners at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Images for kids

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  A quaich made from sycamore wood and silver.

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  An old quaich made from oak wood.

See also

In Spanish: Quaich para niños