Chitra Collection

For Craft Week 2026, we hosted an in-conversation event with Richard Coulton and Matthew Mauger, two of the authors of 'Empire of Tea: The Asian Leaf that Conquered the World', followed by a special tea tasting experience led by Newby London's Tea Sommelier. Want to join us for another talk? Limited tickets are still available for a talk by Tessa Murdoch on Friday 15 May at 2pm. Book here: /events/at-the-tea-table-the-making-of-a-national-drink/ #londoncraftweek2026 #teahistory #bankofenglandmuseum #museumteatime #arthistory

How does our new display connect a famous painting to the trade of tea? 🫖🖼️ New in the Museum’s Stock Office, ‘At the Tea Table: the Making of a National Drink’, this free exhibition explores the development of tea as a commodity in connection to global trade. Featuring objects from the exquisite Chitra Collection, find out how a once rare and costly import from Asia became woven into the fabric of British life. 🏛️ Now on view until 29 May at the Bank of England Museum, Bartholomew Lane, London – open 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Can’t make it during the day? Join us for our late event on Thursday 21 May, 5.15pm to 8pm. Book tickets via the link in our bio.

🌟 Guest Speaker Announcement 🌟 We are delighted to announce that Dr Tessa Murdoch FSA will be joining us for our Craft Week event this Friday at 2pm at the Bank of England Museum. Dr Tessa Murdoch FSA worked at the Museum of London 1981-1990 and at the V&A 1990-2021. Her recent publications include Europe Divided: Huguenot Refugee Art and Culture (V&A, 2021) and as consultant Great Irish Households: Inventories from the long eighteenth century (John Adamson, November 2022). For Bloomsbury, she has co-editing with Dr Heike Zech A Cultural History of Craft in the Age of Enlightenment for publication May 2026 Tessa advises the National Trust and the National Heritage Memorial Fund, is a Board Member of the Idlewild Trust, and serves as Chair of the Trustees of the Huguenot Museum. She curated their current exhibition ‘Sarah Lethieullier’s Dolls House’. Tessa is a member of the Libraries and Archives Committee, Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, and in 2019, following training with contemporary goldsmith Rod Kelly in Shetland, registered her own mark with the London Assay Office as a goldsmith maker. Tessa is Vice-Chair of the Acceptance in Lieu Panel, Arts Council England. 🍵 Talk Highlight: Dr Murdoch will explore the fascinating history of tea culture in Britain, tracing how tea became an essential part of social life in the 17th and 18th centuries. We look forward to welcoming you for what promises to be an engaging and insightful session! A few limited amount of tickets available to book here: /events/at-the-tea-table-the-making-of-a-national-drink/ Image credits: 'Still life with a Teapot, Ginger Jar and Candlestick', ​ Peter van Roestraten, 1695© V&A Museum​ #londoncraftweek #MuseumTeaTime #bankofenglandmuseum #GlobalTrade #tea #history

Last chance to book tickets for At the Tea Table: The Making of a National Drink at the Bank of England Museum. Discover how tea travelled from Asia to Britain, shaping centuries of craft, ceramic and silver design through extraordinary objects from the Chitra Collection. Join exclusive curator-led tours, expert talks and tea tastings with Newby Teas during London Craft Week. Don’t miss this fascinating journey through taste, trade and empire. Book now! 📍 Bank of England Museam 🗓️ 12 May 2026, 14:00 - 16:00 | 15 May 2026, 14:00 - 16:00 🔗 View the full programme via link in bio @tea.museum @newbyteas Image credits: courtesy of The Chitra Collection

In a world rushing on to the next big thing, London Craft Week (11-17 May) almost seems like a rebellion. A celebration of outstanding British and international crafts - makers, designers, brands and galleries. Do not miss this special week curated based not on price or fame, but underlying substance. Here are some of the A-Live recommended, South Asian highlights: • Friday Sari Project (@fridaysariproject ) 11–17 May 2026 • Indian Woodblock Printing Workshop The William Morris Society x Neera Sehgal (@williammorrissocietyuk & @neerscreenprints ) 12 May 2026 | 10:00 - 16:00 • Hands on Rangoli by Group Drawing National Heritage Board Singapore  12 May 2026 | 18:00 - 20:00 • At the Tea Table: The Making of a National Drink The Chitra Collection x Newby Teas x The Bank of England Museum (@tea.museum @newbyteas and @boemuseum ) 12 May & 15 May 2026 • Batik: Recolouring Tradition Lisa King & The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (@lisakinglondon ) 12–17 May 2026 • The Himalayan Knot  Royal Enfield Social Mission (@royalenfieldsocialmission ) at Friday Sari Project curated store for London Craft Week 12–17 May 2026 • In Conversation with Ekta Kaul (@ekta_kaul ) Crafts Council (@craftscouncil ) 13 May 2026 | 19:00 - 21:00 • Unbound By Beads: Migration, Memory & Material MOI (@moi.vibe ) 13–16 May 2026 • Echoes of Silver: Real Silver Block-Printing Workshop October x The Nehru Center (@thenehrucentre ) 14 May 2026 | 14:00 - 18:00 • Pattern, Plaster & Thread: Inspired by the Arab Hall Leighton House (@leightonsambournemuseums ) 15 May & 16 May 2026 Save this for your next outing in London and follow @alive.london for more curated arts, culture and things to do in London. #alivelondon #thingstodoinlondon #londoncraftweek #southasianart

‘At the Tea Table: The Making of a National Drink’ Now open at the Bank of England Museum @boemuseum Developed in collaboration with @su.koh.design , the exhibition traces tea’s transformation from a rare imported commodity into an integral part of British social and cultural life. Through objects, imagery and archival material, it reveals the global trade networks, colonial histories and domestic rituals that shaped tea drinking in Britain. Designed as a continuous tablescape, the exhibition invites visitors into close encounters with the stories and artefacts within the collection. Large-scale contextual imagery and flowing table graphics, inspired by the movement and fluidity of tea itself, subtly reference maritime trade routes, exchange and migration. Curator: Grace Benham Associate Curator: Evelyn Earl 3D Support: Ioanna Athanasopoulou Graphic Design Support: @amklincoln Graphic Production: N3 Display Setworks Fabrication: Full Scale Production Photography: Bound

Introducing ‘At the Tea Table: the Making of a National Drink’ 🫖🏛️ Something new has landed in the Museum’s Stock Office: in stunning collaboration with the Chitra Collection and Newby Teas, the Bank of England Museum hosts a limited-time display uncovering how tea, once a rare and costly import from Asia, became woven into the fabric of British life. 🔍 The exhibition runs from now until 29 May, and is completely free to visit (as well as our entire Museum) Learn more about related events via our ‘What’s On’ page (link in bio), including our monthly late event. @thecityofldn @cheapsideba

Next week: The Chitra Collection - At the Tea Table 🫖✨ 🕰️ 5 - 29 May 🏦 Bank of England Museum, Bartholomew Lane. Free to visit, open Monday to Friday In a stunning collaboration with the Chitra Collection and Newby Teas, the Bank of England Museum hosts a limited-time display uncovering how tea, once a rare and costly import from Asia, became woven into the fabric of British life. Explore a beautiful curation of craft, history, trade and tea through this thoughtful temporary exhibition. Plus, join us for related events, including activities, and talks given by our guest curators from the Chitra Collection and Newby Teas. Essential information: - Booking is required for all events. Booking for the late event can be made through our Eventbrite. For the lunchtime talks, please book via London Craft Week. - In the event that our Museum late has sold out online, you may still be able to attend by collecting a ticket at the door. Please note that walk‑in tickets are offered on a first‑come, first‑served basis and depend on venue capacity on the night. - There is airport-style security at the Museum's entrance. - For information on the Museum's accessibility, please visit our website.

The Bank of England Museum @boemuseum is hosting The Chitra Collection: At the Tea Table, a temporary exhibition that uncovers how tea, once a rare and costly import from Asia, became woven into the fabric of British life. Set against the ritual of tea, the exhibition explores objects, memory, and material culture, inviting you to linger in the everyday moments that shape identity and belonging. The Chitra Collection is a fabulous private collection owned by the N Sethia Foundation, and this is a rare opportunity to view it. 📍 Bank of England Museum 📅 5 – 29 May 2026 More info in the 🔗 in bio! Follow @alive.london for a curated guide to South Asian Arts and Culture in London. #thingstodoinlondon #alivelondon #southasianarts #museum

A new display: The Chitra Collection - At the Tea Table 🫖✨ 🕰️ 5 - 29 May 🏦 Bank of England Museum, Bartholomew Lane. Free to visit, open Monday to Friday In a stunning collaboration with the Chitra Collection and Newby Teas, the Bank of England Museum hosts a limited-time display uncovering how tea, once a rare and costly import from Asia, became woven into the fabric of British life. Explore a beautiful curation of craft, history, trade and tea through this thoughtful temporary exhibition. Plus, join us for related events, including activities, and talks given by our guest curators from the Chitra Collection and Newby Teas. Essential information: - Booking is required for all events. Booking for the late event can be made through our Eventbrite. For the lunchtime talks, please book via London Craft Week. - In the event that our Museum late has sold out online, you may still be able to attend by collecting a ticket at the door. Please note that walk‑in tickets are offered on a first‑come, first‑served basis and depend on venue capacity on the night. - There is airport-style security at the Museum's entrance. - For information on the Museum's accessibility, please visit our website.

How are the Chitra Collection and the Bank of England connected? Their shared link lies in the financial and trading networks of the East India Company. In the early 18th century, the Bank of England played a key role in supporting members of the East India Company, providing loans that helped fund global voyages and trade. One such figure was William Webber, whose coat of arms appears on this Chinese export porcelain teapot in the Chitra Collection. A Company captain and later director, Webber travelled extensively between 1737 and 1751, navigating routes across India, Africa, and China. Find out more about this at in 'At the Tea Table: The Making of a National Drink', a temporary exhibition presented by the Chitra Collection at the Bank of England Museum (Monday 5 May – Friday 29 May 2026). #ChitraCollection #BankOfEnglandMuseum #EastIndiaCompany #GlobalTrade #MuseumTeaTime #NationalTeaDay

Next month: a new temporary display 🫖✨ 🕰️ 5 - 29 May 🏦 Bank of England Museum, Bartholomew Lane. Free to visit, open Monday to Friday In a stunning collaboration with the Chitra Collection and Newby Teas, the Bank of England Museum hosts a limited-time display uncovering how tea, once a rare and costly import from Asia, became woven into the fabric of British life. Explore a beautiful curation of craft, history, trade and tea through this thoughtful temporary exhibition. Plus, join us for related events, including activities, and talks given by our guest curators from the Chitra Collection and Newby Teas. Essential information: - Booking is required for all events. Booking for the late event can be made through our Eventbrite. For the lunchtime talks, please book via London Craft Week. - In the event that our Museum late has sold out online, you may still be able to attend by collecting a ticket at the door. Please note that walk‑in tickets are offered on a first‑come, first‑served basis and depend on venue capacity on the night. - There is airport-style security at the Museum's entrance. - For information on the Museum's accessibility, please visit our website.