Tea, Chit-Chat, and the Problem of Politeness
Virtual talk with Romita Ray
March 21, 2:00pm
FREE for Members / $5.00 Non-Members
*You MUST pre-register to receive the Zoom link to participate
What did the tea table look like in the Georgian era? Focusing on representations of tea drinking in Britain, India, and North America, Romita Ray will analyze how the histories of porcelain and silver in Britain created new ways of engaging with an expensive Chinese drink. She will also look at how tea utensils produced the spectacle of politeness at a time when the Chinese import emerged a controversial commodity.
Participants receive a free take-home bag that can be picked up at the Museum. Included are tea and other treats to enjoy during the talk.
Bio
Romita Ray is associate professor of art history in the department of Art and Music Histories (College of Arts and Sciences) at Syracuse University. She received her M.A., M.Phil, and Ph.D degrees in art history from Yale University, and her B.A. degree in art history from Smith College. Ray is currently working on a book manuscript about the visual cultures of tea in India, tentatively titled Leafy Wonders: Art, Science, and the Aesthetics of Tea in Colonial and Modern India, for which she has been awarded numerous grants and fellowships.
Contact Kimberly Griffiths with questions, kgriffiths@everson.org