BONUS: Patinated Purple Copper with Ben Miller from Curious Objects

What do purple, Tiffany & Co., chocolate and lobsters have in common?

In our new Purple Bonus episod, we discuss a 19th century Tiffany & Co. Chocolate Pot (yes, you read that right) with Ben Miller from Curious Objects Podcast!

“What the hell does a chocolate pot have anything to do with purple?” you might be asking yourselves…

Well, apparently ‘patinating’ (think patina) is a technique used to artificially create surface qualities on metal and copper can take on a purpley hue if the patinating is just right which involves lots of chemicals, beakers and pots!

It’s giving alchemy and we are here for it ~ see with your own ojos here.

But what about lobsters? 

Ben tells us more about Tiffany & Co.’s 19th century Japanese-inspired silver wares (including the Chocolate Pot) and how the West was going bananas for their design aesthetics: Japan had only very recently re-opened their ports for international trading so it was all new and fascinating.

Our favorite detail was the seemingly random lobster on the Chocolate Pot and we later learned (after a quick google search) that in Japan it represents longevity.

So drinking hot chocolate makes you . . . live longer? Alchemy.