“Tea… is a religion if the art of Life”- Okakura Kakuzo, The Book of Tea

 

Although we indulge in its rich contents at our leisure, the act of drinking tea has been long associated with culture, social customs and even art. On a visit to Ooty, I had the opportunity to witness how Nilgiri tea was made and the process and history that was attributed to its popularity across India. The fact that drinking tea was such an integral part to Indian culture, even creating our own ‘Chai Culture’ prompted me to look into other cultures that valued tea and the ideas that were associated with it in their respective nations. 

 

For this project, I looked into the culture and history of tea in the United Kingdom, United States, China, Japan and India. To better convey the essence of tea and its appeal to the sense of sight, smell and touch, I utilized various materials in this project. The book was made out of tea paper, infused with the aroma of tea, and I designed visuals that pertained to the respective cultures across the globe. In doing so, I hoped to impart the extensive influence that tea has had on society, culture, and especially art. For instance, my research revealed that serving and drinking tea was indeed an art form in Japan- it even dictated the attire they wore while partaking in their tea culture. And the American Revolution was spurred by the dumping of tea in the Boston harbor, which has been identified as one of the most iconic acts in nation’s history as they fought against the taxation of commodities like tea. The next time you sip your tea, look into the contents of your cup- therein lays one of the forces that shaped the world as we know it.