On display but locked in placeSourced
A tantalus leaves the decanters visible
A tantalus holds decanters while a lock prevents their unauthorised removal or use. John Betjemann patented the design in 1879. Rather than concealing everything, it combines display with restricted access.
Seeing the bottles does not mean being able to reach their contents.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Tantalus (cabinet) · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-05