{"id":7146,"date":"2022-10-01T11:52:08","date_gmt":"2022-10-01T18:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?p=7146"},"modified":"2026-04-02T16:13:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T23:13:30","slug":"utah-teapot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?p=7146","title":{"rendered":"Utah Teapot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Anyone who’s done any OpenGL graphics is familiar with the ubiquitous Utah teapot<\/a>. It’s been a staple in everything from OpenGL to Pixar movies to countless other shows<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n

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3D representation of the famous teapot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As the story goes, Martin Newell needed a simple mathematical model of a familiar object. His wife suggested modelling their tea set since they were sitting down for tea at the time. He sketched the teapot free-hand using graph paper and a pencil. Following that, he went back to the computer laboratory and edited b\u00e9zier control points on a Tektronix storage tube<\/a> system, again by hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The teapot shape contained a number of elements that made it ideal for the graphics experiments of the time: it was round, contained saddle points, had a genus greater than zero because of the hole in the handle, could project a shadow on itself, and could be displayed accurately without a surface texture.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The original teapot as it now resides at the Computer History Museum<\/a> in Mountain View, California<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The good news is that that now you can own your own. The original teapot was made by the German company Friesland. Apparently they were not aware of how famous their teapot had become, but restarted production – even giving it the ‘Utah’ name. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to own your own Friesland Teekanne 1,4l Wei\u00df Utah Teapot – just go to their website and order one today<\/a>! The original teapot was the white 1.4L model – but other sizes and colors are available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Update Jan 2024:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A great tragedy. It appears the Friesland factory that made the teapots was destroyed in a major fire<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On June 29, 2023, decades of German porcelain history and tradition were destroyed during a\u00a0major fire\u00a0on our company premises.\u00a0For this reason, we are unfortunately unable to supply you\u00a0with any of our old series pieces.\u00a0It was simply:\u00a0EVERYTHING was destroyed<\/strong>\u00a0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we are looking forward optimistically and are doing everything we can\u00a0to build a\u00a0new factory\u00a0<\/strong>at the old Varel location.\u00a0Parts of our popular series\u00a0Jeverland white, Ecco and La Belle as well as the Walk\u00fcre series Alta and NYNY<\/em>\u00a0are already partially available again.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

I sent them an email and asked if they would have the teapots back in stock. There is no eta on when it, or any of their legacy series, will ever come back. Here was their response:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From<\/strong>: Service | Frieslandversand.de 
Date<\/strong>: Jan 5, 2024, 12:43\u202fAM<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Mr. Fife,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Until now] we don`t know when this year we are able
to deliver the teapots. Until now we don`t have a production
here after the great fire in June and we are making test at other sites
in Germany for the production of these articles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With kind regards<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team of Friesland-Porzellan<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Links:<\/p>\n\n\n\n