“Born in China, tea has over the centuries become a universal beverage and the most popular in the world. With 4 million tonnes consumed in 2010, it is by far the most widely drunk beverage (after water, of course).
Tomorrow, the Musée Guimet des Arts Asiatiques opens a major exhibition retracing the history of tea: its expansion across the Asian continent, its cultivation and uses, and the commercial issues it raised. The tea plant, a tree derived from the camellia, thrived in the wild in southwest China, and was cultivated as a shrub around the beginning of our era. The beverage extracted from its leaves was gradually adopted throughout East Asia. From then on, tea played an important part in the daily lives of millions of people.
Over the course of its two-thousand-year history, tea consumption passed through three stages, which are outlined in the exhibition:
– ” The age of boiled tea “, under the Tang (618-907), corresponds today to a preparation method that is on the way to extinction, except in Mongolia and Tibet where this broth is consumed mixed with milk or butter and seasoned with spices.
– The ” age of beaten tea “, under the Song (960- 1279), is a moss that today remains the prerogative of Japan, with the chanoyu or tea ceremony in particular.
– The ” age of brewed tea “, under the Ming (1368-1644), appeared in Chinese literary circles. It’s a preparation method that exalts the subtle flavours of tea leaves: this practice is still in use today.
In addition to the history of this beverage, we’ll also be discovering the many tasting objects (teapots, tins, bowls, etc.) that contribute greatly to the images of refinement associated with their contents, tea.
I recommend that you take a moment to watch the video presented at the entrance to the exhibition: it’s my favorite. In it, you’ll discover the magnificent gestures and words of a world-renowned tea expert, Tseng Yu Hui. She’s the only woman among the top ten masters of the “ceremony”, or rather preparation method, known as gongfu.
Finally, to introduce visitors to the art of living with tea, Le Palais des Thés has teamed up with the Musée Guimet to create a rich and unique sensory experience. To round off your visit, you’ll be offered a tasting of Thé Guimet, an exclusive creation by Le Palais des Thés for the museum to mark the occasion of this exhibition. Tea lovers will tell me what they thought of it; for my part, I found it to be full of character and freshness, since it’s based on green tea, cornflower petals and cardamom, among other ingredients.
Numerous workshops and lectures, as well as educational and interactive areas, hosted by Le Palais des Thés, will help visitors discover the full richness of tea scents.”
This exhibition opens on Wednesday, October 3, 2012 and runs until January 7, 2013, at the Musée Guimet (6, place d’Iéna 75116 Paris – Métro Iéna, ligne 9), where you can find all the practical information at www.guimet.fr
Source for text excerpts and visuals: Musée des arts asiatiques Guimet
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