This ornate silver wine cup holds a charming surprise. When the cup is filled with liquid the small figure of a baby or a putto pops up from the centre of the bowl. Silver or glass cups of this type were popular in the Netherlands in the seventeenth century, when they were given the cryptic name of Hansje in de kelder (‘Hans in the cellar’) cups. They were used to announce the forthcoming birth of a child, as direct revelations of pregnancy were believed to be unlucky. In fact, this example was made in the nineteenth century, when there was a revival in the making of these cups, though by then they were seen as novelties, and in this case, the figure arrives complete with his own tankard. The cup was acquired by King Edward VII when Prince of Wales in 1880.