My sister provides the story on the three-tone teapot:

Michael Graves is an architect and designer.  He designed a teakettle for
Alessi (Italian company? American?) with a little bird on the spout -- I
think it's the best-selling designer teapot ever.  Before the bird, or
about the same time, he designed a kettle with a big three-tone harmonica-
thing on the spout, also for Alessi.

She also says that other companies have made similar harmonica-spout
teapots at lower prices than this one from Alessi, but she has not seen
any lately.