Social life in the first half of the eighteenth century became more sophisticated as the coffee house gave way to the tea garden, a social melting pot where royalty and the masses could promenade together.
Tea gardens often had tree-lined avenues, lantern-lit walks, music, dancing, fireworks, and good food accompanied by a fine cup of tea. But tea drinking soon became an occasion of great ceremony in the eighteenth-century home as well.
The fine porcelain in which the tea was served emphasised the family's wealth, while adding to the sense of ceremony. It was an opportunity for a refined woman to show off her pale skin and delicate bone structure against the translucent purity of the Chinese porcelain.
History of Tea
Did you know?
Precious tea leaves were kept in a locked caddy, for which there was only ever one key. Once or twice a week, the lady of the house would unlock the caddy to serve tea as a family treat, or to impress an important guest.