By the 19th century, one of China's greatest exports, tea, had only recently been introduced to England when Pepys made his remark. The new drink of the upper class encouraged an industry and a century later, the production of fine English porcelain – or chinaware – was at its height, and would continue well into the middle of the 19th century.
¹ú²úBT's fourth Warden, Professor Emeritus Robin Sharwood AM (1965–73), has provided a fascinating insight into British tea-drinking culture through his recent generous gift of some 30 pieces of chinaware produced during England's golden age of chinaware production, between 1750–1850.
Of particular interest are those sets that include not only a saucer and tea cup, but a coffee cup as well; illustrating that the fondness of Western culture for the drink made from the cocoa bean was already several centuries old by the turn of the 18th century.
The new addition to the College's Art Collection builds upon Professor Sharwood's previous gifts of English chinaware to the College, some of which is displayed in the Sharwood Room.
A selection of items is currently on display at the entrance to the Leeper Building.
