Guksi
The Sami cup carved from a single piece of birch burl, with a shallow bowl and a flat handle, worn at the belt for coffee, broth, or water. Because each guksi is shaped from a burl, every piece has a unique grain, and the cup is seasoned by use until it holds the taste of coffee and smoke. Carving is part of the Sami duodji handcraft tradition, still practiced in Norway, Sweden, and Finland, and the finest cups are made of burl that has grown slowly in the cold. Traditionally it was a personal possession, and a well-worn guksi became a valued companion on the reindeer-herding path. In modern u