Britain’s ever-increasing appetite for tea brought enormous profit to the British Crown and to the East India Company. This section of Steeped in History: The Art of Tea Exhibit at the UCLA Fowler Museum explores tea as a global commodity at the height of the British Empire, the development of large-scale tea plantations in northern India, and the link between tea and the Indian opium trade.
Historical photographs show tea parties in Calcutta and tea production in Darjeeling, while a series of engravings depict the stages involved in processing opium.
Final works in this section—including posters, prints, photographs, and a 1940 map that oddly excludes China from a list of tea-producing nations— reveal the ongoing dialogues about tea in relation to politics, agriculture, health, and society today.
Related Museum Events
October 3, 2009 6–8:30 pm Members’ Opening Party: Leaves and Grass
An only-at-the-Fowler event celebrating our fall exhibitions Steeped in History: The Art of Tea and Grass Roots: African Origins of an American Art.
October 18, 2009 2 pm Korean Tea Ceremony Demonstration and Tasting
Los Angeles-based artist Bonghwa Kim demonstrates the meditative and artistic aspects of the Korean tea ceremony. The program concludes on a sweet note with a tasting of tea and Korean treats. $15 members; $20 non-members. Space limited; reservations required: 310/825-8655.
October 24, 2009 3 pm Fowler OutSpoken Lecture: Pei-kai Cheng: Tea and Chinese Cultural Aesthetics
Pei-kai Cheng, founding director and professor, Chinese Civilisation Centre, City University of Hong Kong and author of the recent two-volume publication The Complete Annotated Collection of Chinese Tea Books, explores the cultural significance of tea drinking during the Tang period (618–907 CE). Cheng discusses the change and continuity of “The Way of Tea” (chado) from the Tang-Song period (7th–13th century) to the Ming-Qing period (14th–19th century), revealing the cultural diversity of the tea-drinking ceremony as influenced by various social entities and institutions and by agronomical and technological advances. This talk also examines how aesthetic appreciation and choice of wares for tea ceremony influenced the development of Chinese porcelain-making technology. Co-sponsored by the UCLA Asia Institute.
October 25, 2009 11:30 am–5:30 pm Fowler On the Town: Kulov’s Tea Tour: Some Like It Hot
Join Kulov, founder of the Annual Valentine’s Tea Festival, for tours of unique tea experiences in Los Angeles. Whether you’re a budding tea enthusiast or perfectly steeped tea aficionado, these tours will expand your knowledge of local tea culture and give your taste buds something memorable to savor and treasure. A tour of the exhibition Steeped in History: The Art of Tea focusing on tea in the East is followed by a specially prepared luncheon at Jin Patisserie by chef and owner Kristy Choo. The day concludes with a tasting of aged and rare Chinese teas with purveyors 1001 Plateaus. Transportation included. $60 for members; $75 for non-members for 1 tour; $110 for members; $135 for non-members for both tours. See November 15 for second tour description. Reservations required: 310/825-8655.
Visit the UCLA Fowler Museum and see the entire exhibit.
This is the museum exhibit I’ve heard all the buzz about. It’s sure to be a good one. A map of tea-producing regions that didn’t include China in the WWII era? I’d love to see that along with any explanation why. –Teaternity