Nine ninety-nine, and it does not look it

The blue outside is a matte lacquer rather than gloss, which is why the silver relief reads so clearly on it - the star band at the rim, the harlequin diamonds around the base, and the eagle crest inside its wreath all stand proud of the surface. The shield in the middle is enamelled, so the blue behind the eagle is a deeper, glassier blue than the body. The handle is the part everyone picks up first: a raven with its wings open, cast in one piece with the scrollwork under it, and the feather edges are sharp rather than rounded off. Inside is stainless - you can see the polished lip sitting just above the rim - so it does not taste of anything and a hot drink is not a problem. It has real weight to it, enough that it does not slide when you set it down hard on a wooden table. Two small things: dust settles in the recesses between the relief and the lacquer and needs a soft brush, and the gap inside the handle where the wing meets the scroll is tight for a large hand. Nine ninety-nine, and it does not look like nine ninety-nine.