05/20/2025
detail from “A Family Being Served Tea, possibly the Carter Family” ca. 1745, Paul Mellon Collection, on display as part of the current exhibit “Monstrous Beauty: A Feminist Revision of Chinoiserie.”
I’ve been eagerly anticipating this exhibit since the winter and was thrilled to have a chance to visit yesterday .
As many tea enthusiasts know, the history and appreciation of tea is intertwined with the enjoyment and history of porcelain, particularly porcelain teaware.
I knew this exhibit would collide with tea and tea history, was delighted to view early 18th century paintings depicting tea drinking I have never seen before, as well as examples of export tea cups that reflected Chinese teacup shapes 🍵before European tea culture added handles to teacups ☕️.
After learning from the exhibit and reflecting afterwards you could almost argue tea drinking itself came to be a type of chinoiserie in Europe and Americas.
What do you think?
