Character Analysis
Mrs. Potts is the head housekeeper, and as you may have guessed by her name, she's been turned into a teapot.
And, since we know everyone's going to ask, yes, she's short and stout.
Structurally, Mrs. Potts serves the same purpose as Lumiere and Cogsworth: a friendly face who gives Belle some sage advice as the girl gets used to life in the castle. She's more matronly and less clownish than the other two servants. Nobody's giving her a hard time about being stuffy, but otherwise, she's another cursed castle occupant holding out for a hero (or heroine).
Her motherly qualities are interesting because, like a lot of Disney protagonists, neither Belle nor the Beast has an actual mom. We can only guess why Belle is motherless, though there are certainly some fascinating possibilities. (Do you think Belle and her dad moved out to the country to escape the pain of her mother dying?) Mrs. Potts fills the maternal role for both the main couple and the rest of the castle. She's the one ordering the Beast to sit up straight and telling the rest of the servants to stay sharp and look clean. She does so in the strict-but-loving way that moms have, and as a result, she helps cut through all the fussin' and feudin' of the other servants.
Oh, yeah, and she also gets to sing the theme song that won this movie an Oscar.
So, there's that.