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USA - Southwestern (1948) (Map) Black Coffee Mug

USA - Southwestern (1948) (Map) Black Coffee Mug

100 in stock

Regular price $17.99 USD
Regular price Sale price $17.99 USD
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USA - Southwestern (1948) - Black Mug Design

This design is a 1948 map of the American Southwest, drawn in the mid-century style that treated the region as a destination to be read, visited and admired.

Visual Elements & Composition

The map is the whole composition. Its region spreads across the surface as a single geographic field, with the land forms, boundaries and place-level detail carrying the image rather than decoration added around it. Nothing competes with the geography. The layout is open and horizontal, so the eye travels across the region the way a traveller would, from one landmark to the next, and the dark ground behind the map makes the cartography stand out clearly.

Meaning & Symbolism

A map from 1948 is more than a guide. It reflects a post-war United States that was turning toward its own landscapes, with road travel, tourism and regional pride all growing fast. The Southwest was central to that shift. Its deserts, mesas and open country had long been filed under frontier and wilderness, and by the late 1940s they were being promoted as places to see. Read today, the map records how Americans chose to picture their own geography, and it carries the optimism of a country that had just come through the war and was ready to explore.

Reading the Design on a Curved Surface

A mug is turned in the hand, so this map is never seen all at once. You take in one stretch of the region, rotate the cup, and the next stretch comes into view, the way a folded road map opens section by section on a long drive. The handle sits on one side and the design wraps the rest, so the view you get depends on where you hold it. Your morning coffee becomes a reason to look at the Southwest a little longer than you would at a flat print.

Size

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Glossy black ceramic mugs in two practical sizes — 11 oz (≈330 ml) and 15 oz (≈440 ml). Comfortable C-handle, microwave- and dishwasher-safe, and manufactured to be lead- and BPA-free. Note: printed blacks may read slightly different from the mug’s base color.

These mugs are made from solid ceramic with a glossy glaze that gives a deep, even surface for printing. Sublimation printing embeds ink into the glaze so artwork sits smoothly on the mug rather than simply sitting on top — that means better resistance to fading and scratching during normal use.

They’re available in the classic 11-ounce size for everyday black coffee and tea, and a larger 15-ounce cup if you like extra room for milk, foam or a long pour. The C-shaped handle is wide enough for a secure grip and balances the mug well when full.

  • Material: 100% ceramic with a high-gloss finish for punchy, saturated results.
  • Sizes: 11 oz (≈330 ml) and 15 oz (≈440 ml) — choose your routine size.
  • Printing: sublimation process fuses color into the glaze for durable imagery.
  • Safety: lead- and BPA-free; meets common food-contact safety standards.
  • Design note: very dark artwork and the mug’s black base can produce subtle shade differences — add a thin lighter outline to ensure contrast if needed.

These mugs are at home in the kitchen, on the office desk, or tucked into a morning routine. They work for espresso shots, pour-overs, oat-milk lattes — you name it. The larger size is handy when you want a second cup’s worth without a refill.

  1. Daily use: fill with your preferred brew and sip — the mug handles hot liquids safely.
  2. Office-friendly: fits most standard mug warmers and sits securely on communal trays and kitchen counters.
  3. Gifting: packs well (wrap with a soft layer) and pairs nicely with coffee beans, tea tins, or a small box of biscuits.

Practical tip: for very dark designs, try a thin light border or a small margin so the artwork reads cleanly against the black ceramic.

These mugs are both microwave- and dishwasher-safe, but gentle habits extend the life of the print. We recommend dishwasher use on the top rack and milder cycles when possible.

Hand-washing is the friendliest option: warm water, mild dish soap, and a soft sponge. Avoid steel wool, harsh scouring pads, or blasting with extremely hot industrial cycles. And a quick reminder — don’t microwave an empty mug.

Two sizes: 11 oz (approx. 330 ml) and 15 oz (approx. 440 ml). The smaller cup is the familiar, everyday size; the larger one is for fuller pours and extra-creamy drinks.

Each mug’s mouth and height are proportioned so they’re easy to drink from and easy to clean. If you’re pairing with saucers or nesting in cabinets, expect the 15 oz to be slightly wider and taller than the 11 oz.

Size guide

All measurements are product dimensions in inches.

11 oz 15 oz
Height (in) 3.86 4.72
Diameter (in) 3.35 3.35
Diameter with handle (in) 4.72 5.12

Note: dimensions are nominal — small production tolerances may apply. If you need precise fitment (e.g., for nested storage or custom packaging), please allow a small margin.