BM-OR-0001

Research Overview

Can a centuries-old magic principle be transformed into an ordinary-looking teapot?

The dual-liquid teapot is a traditional magic concept: a single vessel can selectively pour two different liquids. Although the principle has existed for many years, many examples we encountered looked more like special-purpose magic or novelty objects than everyday teapots.

Our goal was to explore a more natural, practical, and convincing design for modern magic performances.

Inspiration & Development

Original inspiration: In late 2025, we discovered JD Jingzao's Huixin Teapot and Zhuanyi Cup (回心壶转意杯) set. What impressed us was not a new magic principle, but its appearance. Unlike many traditional versions, it looked much more like a genuine household vessel. That product inspired us to revisit the concept from a magician's perspective.

Our contribution: We wanted to create a version resembling a classic English teapot, with a natural appearance, comfortable handling, and an internal structure designed specifically for performance.

Related prior work: We acknowledge traditional dual-liquid vessels and JD Jingzao's modern interpretation as important inspirations for this project. We do not claim to have invented the traditional dual-liquid teapot principle.

Method & Technical Details

V19 with lid opened — Fig. 2 — V19 with the lid opened: the top opening feeds the upper reservoir only.

V19 cross-section — Fig. 3 — Off-axis cross-section of the V19 model showing the two internal reservoirs and pouring channel.

Show Method

Our documented engineering development took place in October 2026, using parametric 3D modeling (CadQuery) and rapid prototyping. We explored different internal reservoir arrangements, concealed air-control systems, pouring channels, sealing methods, and ways to fill and clean the vessel.

One of our main design objectives was to make the teapot look convincing even when its lid was opened, while keeping the secret mechanism discreet.

The project went through numerous design iterations. A V12 prototype was physically printed and reported to be basically functional, revealing several areas for improvement. By late October, V19 had become our latest fully documented engineering version, with further modifications being explored in V20.

The figures above show the V19 engineering model: the exterior appearance, the view with the lid opened, and a cross-section of the internal two-reservoir structure. The technical diagrams are annotated in Chinese; English-annotated versions may follow later.

The project remains in development. Later versions still require additional physical testing before production.

Additional Views

Fig. 4 — Multi-view summary sheet of the V19 model (exterior, proportions, opened view and cross-section).

Files & Downloads

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Results & Known Limitations

Status: V19 is the latest fully documented engineering version; V20 modifications are being explored. Physical testing of later versions is still required before production.

Known areas for improvement were identified during the V12 physical prototype test and are being addressed in subsequent revisions.

Permission & Usage

M3 - Fully Open

The dual-liquid vessel principle is a traditional magic concept in the public domain - we do not claim exclusive rights over it, and others are free to build their own versions. Our specific engineering solutions (reservoir arrangements, air-control design, sealing methods as implemented in our CAD files) are ours to license, and Bacon Magic chooses to open them fully: you may study, reproduce, modify, share and commercially develop this project without a project-specific credit requirement. Crediting Bacon Magic Open Research is appreciated but voluntary. JD Jingzao's Huixin Teapot and Zhuanyi Cup inspired this work and deserves similar acknowledgment from anyone building on this lineage. Design files are provided under CERN-OHL-P-2.0; accompanying text and images are provided under CC BY 4.0.

References & Credits

We distinguish original inspiration, our own contribution, and related prior work. Attribution we could not verify is marked as Unverified.

Traditional dual-liquid teapots (historical magic apparatus).

JD Jingzao (回心壶转意杯) — Huixin Teapot and Zhuanyi Cup, discovered late 2025. We acknowledge this modern interpretation as an important inspiration for our design direction.

Research History

Oct 31, 2026
First published on Open Research
Initial v1.0 release of the project record. Development ongoing at V19/V20.
Oct 31, 2026
Project ID assigned BM-OR-0001
Demo placeholder entries were retired before launch; this project became the first formally numbered Open Research record.
Oct 31, 2026
v1.1 - Upgraded to P3 + M3 (Full Technical Disclosure, Fully Open)
V19 technical figures published (exterior, opened view, cross-section, multi-view sheet); design files announced under CERN-OHL-P-2.0.

Contributions & Disputes

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How to Cite This Research

Wang Ji / Bacon Magic. (2026). Dual-Liquid Teapot. Bacon Magic Open Research. BM-OR-0001. https://baconmagic.shop/pages/bm-or-0001