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Today, it seems natural to drink his coffee, his tea or his chocolate in a cup with an handle. Mugs are a variant contaporary variant of these cups. But thinks were not always as simples and clears.

In iconography, cups with handles were appearing in the 1740s which means their use is established for many years. No speccific date can't be precised but it's, with no doubt, sin Louis XIV's death that behaviours are changing creating this type of accessories

With Louis XIV's death and the accession if the throne by the Regent and by Louis XV, the ceremony is less present and on can see emerge more privacy (which timidly appeared at he end of Louis XIV reign when he went to Marly because of "his" ceremony). This is more true that the use of cups (with ou without handle) is linked to the common or daily tasting of exotic drinkings (coffee, tea, chocolate). Both asspects of behaviour (intimity) and costums (consumption of beverages) are related.

The creation of ceramic cups is developping from the "interim" of the Regent and under the reign of Louis XV. And, as often regarding to the arts of table, there is no beginning and no end but rather a discret appearence and a development with often a simultaneous using of objects (like forks for example). Cups with handles are representated in a concomitant way during the whole XVIIIth century because one can see them in Boilly's works art, painter in the end of XVIIIth century and first part of XIXth century. And yet, in his works, it seems that cups with handles don't predomine on cups with handles.

In summary, it's since 1715 that we can notice a modification of behaviours and customs. Between 1715-1720 and 1740, the cup with handle emerges and grows slowly. And since 1740, it seems as used daily as well as the cup without handle. Both of them are presents during the whole century and the unique use of the cup with handle is later.