As the festive season gets underway, many will turn their attention to the fine art of eating. In December 2007 a poll estimated that on Christmas Day the British public would each gorge themselves on 6000 kcal (25.10 MJ) of culinary delights.1 The term “gavage,” from the French “to gorge,” is used to describe the force feeding of ducks and geese for the production of pâté de foie gras using funnels. For many centuries funnels have also been utilised for the force feeding of prisoners and psychiatric patients. Similar devices have been used to provide artificial feeding for patients who, severely troubled by anorexia and nausea, may well have considered their treatment as a form of force-feeding. Although the act of eating is a common theme in art, few images of artificial nutrition exist, and in particular the use of feeding funnels.