• Unknown, China: Tea Bowl, Song Dynasty (960 CE–1279 CE); Jizhou ware, stoneware with black glaze and natural leaf impression; 4 1/4 inches; BAMPFA, gift of George and Frances Fong.

Five Tables of Tea Culture

Drop by our art study centers on Free First Thursday for an up-close look at treasures from the BAMPFA collections. On view this session: seven exquisite tea bowls from Song dynasty China; James McNeill Whistler’s lithograph La tasse du thé (Afternoon Tea), featuring his mother-in-law; Sakaki Hyakusen’s hauntingly spare ink monochrome Priest Known as Tea Seller; Kitagawa Utamaro’s charming ukiyo-e print Chamise no kane no ne (The Sound of Bells at the Tea Shop), and more!