One glance at this lidless teapot will likely have you wondering: How on earth does this work? Known as a Cadogan teapot, the shape was first popularised in the West by William, 1st Earl of Cadogan (1675 – 1726), who had a Chinese porcelain vessel similar to this example in his collection. Designed to puzzle and amuse, cadogan teapots can only be filled upside down through a tube which runs from the base up into the pot's interior. When turned the right way up, the liquid can only escape from the spout. Although this form was originally intended for storing wine in 17th-century China, wealthy Europeans in the early 19th century adapted its use for tea and coffee, prompting Rockingham and several other British ceramic manufactures to produce vast quantities of teapots in this form.

Porcelain peach-form Cadogan teapot, 1662-1722, China © The British Museum ... See MoreSee Less