This is a teacup. There is a method of divination by tea-leaves. A cup of tea is poured for you, allowing the tea-leaves to enter the cup. When you have finished, the tea-leaves are left in the cup. The fortune-teller then looks at the pattern of the tea-leaves left at the bottom of the cup, with a view to telling you what will happen to you in the future. For a comment on this by René Thom, click here.