Linchpin

Teacup of porcelain, painted in enamels with European figures and a coastal scene: China, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong reign, c. 1760 AD, probably painted at Cozzi's factory in Venice

Teacup of white porcelain, bowl with gently flaring sided and short foot, decorated with underglaze blue floral design on body and painted red Buddhist symbols on border around rim: China, Tibetan, 19th century AD, collected in Tibet

Bowl-shaped teacup of white jade on ring foot, used by the Dalai Lama, everyday use: Tibet, Chinese

Porcelain tea cup painted in sepia and surrounded by gilt borders and roses in natural colours: German, Dresden, Meissen, c. 1780

Porcelain teacup from a tea set designed by Walter Gropius and Louis A. McMillen of The Architects Collaborative (TAC) and Katherine de Sousa in 1968: German, Bavaria, Selb, Rosenthal Factory, 1977

Cup of white jade, with straight sides flaring to mouth and short narrow footring, part of a set with silver stand and copper cover, used for drinking tea: Tibetan, late 19th century AD

Porcelain teacup painted in colours and gold, part of a tea service given to Jane Burke, wife of Edmund Burke, to mark his election as M.P. for Bristol: English, Bristol, by Richard Champion's porcelain factory, c. 1774 - 1775

Handleless teacup of lead-glazed earthenware, marble in brown, blue and cream-coloured clays (solid agate earthenware): English, Staffordshire, c. 1750

Porcelain tea cup with cafe au lait glaze on the exterior and a white interior, Hizen official ware: Arita, Japan, c. 1770

Tea cup of stoneware with crackled celadon glaze: Japan, Arita, by Nakajima, 1990

Porcelain tea cup, features a repeating diaper pattern with stylised flower forms in shades of blue, yellow, green, red and gold on a white ground in imitation of cloisonné metalwork, forms set with saucer K.2104.52.2 and side plate K.2014.52.3: English, designed by Christopher Dresser, manufactured by Minton & Co. in Stoke-upon-Trent, 1875

Tea cup (yunomi-chawan), one of three, porcelain, fluted with a white glaze and beni-iro rim: Asia, East Asia, Japan, Tōhoku, Miyagi, Kirigome kiln, 19th century

Tea cup (yunomi-chawan), one of three, porcelain, fluted with a white glaze and beni-iro rim: Asia, East Asia, Japan, Tōhoku, Miyagi, Kirigome kiln, 19th century

Tea cup (yunomi-chawan), one of three, porcelain, fluted with a white glaze and beni-iro rim: Asia, East Asia, Japan, Tōhoku, Miyagi, Kirigome kiln, 19th century

Tea-cup (chawan), stoneware with a matt brown slip and black iron oxide on the rim and patches on exterior, with a grey glaze on interior: Asia, East Asia, Japan, Tōhoku, Miyagi, Tsutsumi kiln, attributed to Kensō II, early 20th century

Tea cup (chawan), stoneware with a white glaze inside and over most of the outside, stamped, Asia, Japan, Tōhoku, Fukushima, Aizu-Hongō c. 1970