Sunday 12th May 3pm with Kate Richenburg (1966, DPhil, Physical Sciences)
Following the introduction of tea to Britain in the 1650s, some British craftsmen progressively turned their attention to producing tea-related objects, such as teapots, which contributed to the ritualisation of tea drinking. Among these pieces were small lockable boxes for storing the expensive dry tea leaves, thereby keeping them fresh and protecting them from possible pilfering by servants. Known as tea chests or caddies depending on their interior layout, these boxes were made and decorated using an array of different materials and techniques. They represent, in miniature, several of the ornamental styles that were employed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and they generally exemplify fine craftsmanship.
Join Kate to explore the social and decorative history of these boxes, visiting topics as diverse as eighteenth-century women’s magazines and Napoleonic prisoners-of-war
Kate, alongside a career in academic publishing, has researched tea chests and caddies for more than 30 years, and is a co-author of a major book on the subject, published in 2022.
If you own an antique tea container and would like to bring it or a photo of it along, Kate will be happy to try to add to your knowledge of the piece.
The talk will be followed by afternoon tea. As the event takes place on a Sunday, you might like to attend sung evensong in the College Chapel at 5.30pm.
If you would like to come to this event but need help with the booking costs, you are welcome to apply to the Senior Members Fund for financial assistance (applications to Lisa Gygax, lisa.gygax@some.ox.ac.uk)