By the 1750s, trompe l’oeil (‘trick the eye’) tableware had become the height of fashion on elegant tables across Europe. Sometimes, the ceramic form identified the food within, so the dish with heaped crayfish cover (261) was probably for crayfish paté or potted crayfish. However, the Chelsea porcelain manufactory’s catalogues indicate that some of its smaller containers formed as vegetables, rabbits, and partridges were made for the dessert course. Knowing that the form of a tureen did not necessarily indicate its contents must have created suspense, followed by amusement when the cover was removed and unexpected contents revealed.