The Pioneer Carafe and Glass set by award-winning designer Daniel Schofield is handmade from borosilicate glass, more commonly used in laboratories. The addition of a silver-plated hammered copper cuff to the rim of the carafe, acting as a spout, and a loose piece of the material shaped like two interlocking coins inside the carafe explore silver’s natural purifying properties.
“I knew that silver was being used in the medical industry to speed up the healing of wounds, so I decided to look into other properties the material had,” says Daniel. “Through research I discovered that silver had long been used to disinfect and purify water, from the Egyptians storing water in silver containers, to sailors and early American pioneers putting silver coins in their flasks, barrels and water supplies to preserve the water and make it stay fresher for longer on their travels.”
The designer has used the silver economically, adding it only at “the first and last point that the water touches,” and choosing a hammered finish to increase its surface area.
“Positively charged silver particles oxidise and destroy negatively charged bacteria and pathogens,” says Daniel. “The full extent to which silver can help treat the issue of clean drinking water has yet to be seen, but ongoing research is showing its usage to be an exciting development for the global water supply.”
The form of the tumbler echoes an inverted version of the neck of the carafe, resulting in a cohesive set.
Photography by Oskar Proctor.
