Centuries before it became entrenched in everyday Southern culture, brewed tea was an indulgence enjoyed mostly by society’s elite. Imported from China and introduced to Europe in the early 17th century, tea, like the porcelains and silks traded alongside it, was considered a luxury good, accessible only to those who could afford its princely cost. Adopted by the upper classes that were eager to flaunt their wealth and gentility, tea, specifically, the drinking of it, provided an opportunity to develop a new and elaborate social custom, one which required a retinue of tableware conceived solely for serving and consuming tea in style. Often designed as matching sets, teapots, urns, cups and saucers, milk jugs, and sugar bowls were some of the pieces required for serving tea properly, as were tea…
