Sea Monster Stirrup Cup 008 is the realization of my original goal for the series: to create a raised gold stirrup cup. It took six years of saving, planning, and test-raising gold vessels to develop the control I needed. The piece is made from 22k gold, alloyed from 24k to give the material just enough stiffness to respond well under the hammer. For me, SM008 is both a technical achievement and a personal milestone. It embodies my commitment to precious metal, historical craft processes, and the long-term dedication required to make work like this by hand.