This decidedly modern cup is battery-operated. When the on/off button on the handle is pressed, a small propeller at the bottom of the cup mixes powdered chocolate and milk.
These days, a cup of hot chocolate before bed may not seem all that unusual, but this has not always been the case. When the Spanish brought cocoa to Europe from the Americas it aroused great interest and stirred up much debate. Above all, it became a huge craze with the aristocracy and the more privileged classes of society.