Time for tea: in celebration of the remarkable craftmanship involved in the making and taking of a cup of tea, Peter Brown tells the extraordinary story of how one of the best-loved beverages was introduced to the Western world

Apollo, April, 2004 by Peter Brown

(14) P.S. du Four, Traitez Nouveaux et Curieux Du Cafe, Du The et Du Chocolate, Lyon, 1685, p. 93. I am indebted to Gabrielle Obrist, former curator of the Johann Jacobs Museum, Zurich, for her help and assistance in translating this and other texts held in the museum's important collection.

(15) P. Muguet, Tractatus Novi de Potu Caphe de Chinensium The et de Chocolata, Paris, 1685, and Nicolas de Blegny, Le Bon Usage de The, coffee et du Chocolat, Paris, 1687.

(16) Court Minutes, April 1695-April 1699. British Library, 'Oriental and India Office Collections'; b/41, p. 130.

(17) R.P. Maccubhin and M. Hamilton Phillips, The Age of William III and Mary II: Power, Politics and Patronage 1688-1702, Williamsburg, VA, 1989, p. 129. Compare the likeness with other portraits of Russell at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. I am grateful to Roger Quarm for drawing these to my attention.

(18) I am grateful to Douglas Stewart of Queens University, Ontario, for his thoughts on this matter.

(19) Josiah Woodward, An Account of the progress of the Reformation of Manners in England, Ireland, and other parts of the World, to which is added the special obligations of Magistrates to be diligent in the execution of penal laws against profaneness and debauchery, 1st edition, London, 1698.

(20) Loading instructions for the 'Rochester' being provisioned at Chusan in 1710. I owe a debt of gratitude to the late Richard Kilburn for his help and assistance in matters relating to the East India Company records.

(21) Despatch Book, 1711-20. British Library, Oriental and India Office Collections; E/3/97. List of Goods to be Provided at Canton by the Super Cargoes of the Loyal Bliss, 1712, p. 671, item 17: 'Deep square small dishes or Patty pans according to the pattern in Tin for the Tea Pots to stand on and to be painted and collourd as the Tea Potts, Blue and White, two thousand'.

(22) Jennetta Tolhurst. Inventory, London, 1699. 'One plate tar spoons - 4/='. This was one of the earliest giftshops (or 'Toyshops') in Jermyn Street selling chinaware. Information kindly supplied by Richard Kilburn.

(23) B. Inglis, 'The Silver Tea Caddy', in Steve Jarrett (ed.), Witney Antiques: An Invitation to Tea, exh. cat., Witney, Oxon, 1991.

(24) Jonathan Swift, Directions to Servants, Dublin, 1745, pp. 56-57.

(25) D. Campbell (ed.), The letters of Mary Wortley Montagu, London, 1992 Mary writes from her villa near Verona in 1748 explaining that 'although her own planting of Tea is not Indian [sic] at least it is fresher and unmixed'.

(26) G. Cheyne, An Essay of Health and Longlife, London, 1725, p. 28.

(27) Stella Tillyard, Aristocrats: The letters of Caroline, Emily, Louisa and Sarah Lennox 1740-1832, London, 1994, p, 230.

(28) Jonas Hanaway, All Essay an Tea, London, 1757.

(29) C. Deering, Nottingham Vetus and Nova, 1751.

Liquid Culture: Chocolate, Coffee and Tea in Early Modern Europe--An Interdisciplinary, Symposium To be held on Friday 30 April 2004 at The Bard Graduate Center for Decorative Arts, Design and Culture, 38 West 86th Street, Lecture Hall, New York, NY 10024.