A SET OF TWELVE CHINA TRADE 'TEA CULTIVATION' PAINTINGS QING DYNASTY, CIRCA 1800

Chinese School, gouache on paper, each depicting various stages of tea cultivation: tilling, planting the tea sapling, fertilizing, picking the tea leaves, sorting, sunning, pounding and drying, firing the tea, grading, weaving the boxes and packing, shipping and selling; together with the Countess of Powis's bookplate, all framed (13)

Collection of Violet Herbert, Countess of Powis (1865-1929), Powis Castle, Powys, Wales.
Needham’s Antiques Inc., J. E. Treleaven , New York, 5th March 1964.
Collection of Walter L. Marr III (1932-2014), Northbrook, Illinois and thence by descent.

The paintings were not examined outside of the frames but are in good overall condition. Two of the paintings have an approx. 7.5 cm section of sky at the upper edge that is abraded and restored. The paintings with minor, small scattered areas of in painting where pigments have been lost or worn.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Although the concept of tea seems relatively simple—dry leaf infused in hot water—the manufacture of it is highly nuanced and complex. In the 18th century, while coveting the desirable and expensive beverage, Westerners had little to no knowledge regarding its cultivation and processing. 

The set is generally considered to have been painted, along with sets depicting porcelain and rice production, around 1790-1800. The late 18th century style and the 'Tea Production' set are discussed in Carl Crossman, The China Trade, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 1991, p. 179. The late 18th century attribution is further aided by a leather-bound set of twelve 'Tea Production' paintings, formerly in the collection of Lord Grenville, who served as Foreign Secretary of England from 1791-1801 and Prime Minister in 1806-7. The album is inscribed  ‘Lord Grenville, Chinese Drawings ft. 1803.’ For more on this group see Pauline Webber, 'A Souvenir from Guangzhou’ V&A Conservation Journal, Autumn 2004, no.48, pp 2-4.