Style note — Aesthetic style was very popular in the 1870s and 1880s. The homewares in Aesthetic fashion were elegantly designed and useful; the decoration had to be aesthetic, which meant elegant, tasteful and not garish. Design elements were inspired by the imports of ceramics, lacquer furniture and fabrics from the Far East, especially Japan.

Facts of Lavish Cool fact — "As useful as a chocolate teapot” means pretty useless. A functioning 100% chocolate teapot was made in England in 2014 and it lasted for two minutes.