SHERLOCK HOLMES - Moriarty - Mug 300ml

This ceramic mug is dedicated to Professor Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes’s main adversary in the animated series *Sherlock Holmes*, also known internationally as *Sherlock Hound*.

The panoramic illustration features Professor Moriarty in the foreground, wearing a light-coloured suit, a green tie and a beige top hat. The character strikes a particularly theatrical pose, with his arm raised and his finger pointed, true to his extravagant nature in the series. At his side are his two accomplices, Smiley and Todd, whilst the gold ‘Sherlock Holmes’ logo occupies the other part of the design against a blue sky background.

The colour print wraps around much of the mug and directly echoes the animation’s aesthetic, with sharp outlines and contrasting colours. Studio Ghibli states that the illustration features HD printing. The mug’s white base leaves a light-coloured area around the handle, bringing out the colours of the image.

Technical specifications

Manufacturer: Semic / Studio Ghibli
Licence / Franchise: Sherlock Holmes / Sherlock Hound
Main character: Professor Moriarty
Other characters featured: Smiley and Todd
Collection: Sherlock Holmes Mug Collection
Model: Sherlock Mug 04 – Moriarty
Type: standard mug
Material: ceramic
Commercial capacity: 300 ml
Capacity stated by Studio Ghibli: 340 ml
Dimensions: approx. 12.5 x 8.5 x 10 cm
Weight: approx. 350 g
Print: HD colour illustration
EAN: 3760226379904

Origin and backstory of the character (Lore)

Sherlock Holmes is a Franco-Italian-Japanese animated series inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective stories. In this adaptation, the characters take the form of anthropomorphic animals and Holmes’s Victorian world is enriched with a significant element of adventure, action and comedy. The series comprises 26 episodes and was broadcast in Japan between November 1984 and May 1985. TMS Entertainment lists Kyosuke Mikuriya and Hayao Miyazaki, amongst others, as its directors.

The story follows the detective Sherlock Holmes, based on Baker Street in London, and his companion Dr Watson. Together, they solve various cases whilst regularly coming up against Professor Moriarty. TMS describes the latter as a ‘scientific genius’ whose criminal schemes constitute one of the main threats Holmes must face.

This version of Moriarty differs from that in Conan Doyle’s novels in that he has a much more prominent and flamboyant personality. He devises his own plans, builds various machines and inventions, and intervenes directly in numerous cases. He is usually accompanied by his two henchmen, Smiley and Todd, who take part in his operations and also contribute to the series’ comic element.

The character nevertheless retains his fundamental role as Holmes’s intellectual nemesis. His inventions, thefts and schemes constantly force the detective to draw on his powers of observation and logic. The sequences featuring Moriarty also give the series a strong visual identity thanks to the mechanical contraptions and extravagant vehicles he designs.

The design of this mug captures precisely this animated interpretation of the character. Moriarty appears in an exuberant pose, flanked by Smiley and Todd, which places greater emphasis on the trio of criminals and the series’ humour than on the more austere image of Professor Moriarty from Conan Doyle’s original stories.