Tea Trade Collection

Merchant ship attacked by Chinese pirates
Chinese pirates attacking a European merchant ship, 1800s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

The trade: Wholesale and detail expedition drawing by L. Crepon after Japanese paintings 1869
1729506 The trade: Wholesale and detail expedition drawing by L. Crepon after Japanese paintings 1869

Turbanned Dutch VOC merchants smell tea for quality in a Canton (Guangzhou) tea warehouse, c
1765780 Turbanned Dutch VOC merchants smell tea for quality in a Canton (Guangzhou) tea warehouse, c.1770 (gouache on paper) by Chinese School, (18th century); 31.3x25 cm; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

The Boston Tea Party, 16th December 1773 (engraving)
XND70126 The Boston Tea Party, 16th December 1773 (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: destroying crates of tea in Boston harbour;)

IL370603 by Stewart, Allan (1865-1951) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Boston Tea Party, 16th December 1773; Protest by American colonists against the British Government in which they)

Sorting small leaves for drying (w / c on paper)
STC209667 Sorting small leaves for drying (w/c on paper) by Chinese School (19th century); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; Chinese, out of copyright

The Boston Tea Party, illustration from Harpers Magazine, 1901 (litho)
STC306784 The Boston Tea Party, illustration from Harpers Magazine, 1901 (litho) by Pyle, Howard (1853-1911); Private Collection; (add.info.: Boston Tea Party)

The Leadenhall Volunteer, drest in his Shawl, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1797
NCO193134 The Leadenhall Volunteer, drest in his Shawl, published by Hannah Humphrey in 1797 (hand-coloured etching) by Gillray, James (1757-1815); Courtesy of the Warden and Scholars of New College

Tea Culture in India (engraving)
1044556 Tea Culture in India (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Tea Culture in India)

China, Canton, tea trade, 19th century engraving

BUSN2A-00067
A fleet of tea-ships in the China Sea, 1880s. Hand colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

BUSN2A-00187
Unloading tea-ships in the British East India Companys docks, London, 1860s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

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Tea Trade: A Perilous Voyage from China's Canton to the Boston Harbor From the bustling tea warehouses of Canton (Guangzhou), merchants, primarily from the Dutch VOC, meticulously inspected and smelled the precious leaves for quality. Yet, the journey was far from over. Merchant ships, laden with this coveted commodity, faced the treacherous waters of the South China Sea, where Chinese pirates lurked, waiting to seize their valuable cargo. Fast forward to the shores of America, where the Boston Tea Party unfolded on the 16th of December, 1773. In defiance of British rule, colonists, disguised as Mohawk Indians, boarded three ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor. Back in China, the tea leaves continued their journey, this time to India, where the British East India Company established plantations, leading to the spread of tea culture. The leaves were carefully sorted, dried, and packaged, ready to be shipped back to Europe and the Americas once more. Amidst these historical moments, the tea trade remained a global phenomenon, shaping international relations and fueling economic growth. The aroma of tea leaves wafting through the air served as a constant reminder of the intricate web of commerce that connected the East and the West.