Small metal Turkish cezve with a .75 inch lip. A cezve such as this would have been used to make and serve Turkish coffee, which has proven to be a culturally significant beverage in the region since its introduction circa 1540 C.E. by two Syrian traders. Historically served in wedding and engagement ceremonies, at political gatherings, and during holiday rituals, Turkish coffee continues to symbolize friendship and hospitality in its contemporary context in the same ways it has for centuries. Coffee had become such an integral part of Ottoman culture that, by the mid-seventeenth century, some women went through intense training in order to master the art of Turkish coffee brewing. To use a cezve, one would have filled it with water, put it over heat and, once boiling, removed the cezve to add finely ground—almost to a powder—coffee beans. They then would continually return the cezve to and from the heat until they deemed the drink appropriately foamed. Instead of an addition to brewed coffee, sugar would have been added to the mixture during the brewing process just as the coffee grinds were. The brewed coffee would then be poured directly from the cezve to its drinkware, hence its long handle and pouring lip. This unique brewing method is still common in contemporary Turkey with modern cezves which strongly reflect this particular artifact. Most are copper, however some are made from metal or silver and others from pure gold. Sarah Kemink, 4/30/2020

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