Hora do chá (Tea time)

A lenda atribui a infusão das folhas da planta Camellia sinensis L a Shen Nung, imperador Chinês do III milénio aC. No séc. III aC usavam-na para fins medicinais com folhas de plantas espontâneas. Cinco séculos depois iniciaram plantações em larga escala. Por influência do Budismo Zen os Japoneses criaram o 'ritual sagrado do chá' pelo séc. XV. Os Ingleses desenvolveram o seu consumo na Europa. Tomavam-no principalmente às 17 horas.

According to legend Shen Nung, Chinese emperor of the third millennium BC, discovered the infusion of the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis L. In the 3rd century BC, the leaves of spontaneous plants were used for medicinal purposes. Five centuries later, there were large-scale plantations. Influenced by Zen Buddhism the Japanese created the “sacred ritual of tea” around the 15th century. The British developed tea consumption in Europe. They had tea mainly at 5 pm.

Jan Jozef I Horemans (1632-1759)-'tea time'-oil on canvas Antwerp-Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten

Henry Salem Hubbell (1870-1949)-'tea time'-oil on canvas Private collection

Mary Stevenson Cassatt (1843-1926)-'cup of tea'-oil on canvas-1880 Boston-Museum of Fine Arts

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978)-'tea time'- oil on canvas

Jean Metzinger (1883-1956)-'tea time (woman with a teaspoon)'-oil on cardboard Philadelphia-Art Museum