Warehouse District Accessory Set

At the beginning of the 19th century, China was the largest supplier of tea in the world. Europe learned of this exclusive beverage in the 10th century from Arabian silk traders who spoke of a tax on a plant from which you could brew a beverage known as "sakh" (cha). Marco Polo also mentioned the tax on tea in 1285, however not the tea. Arabians, Christian missionaries, and seamen brought the first green tea from China to Europe. This tea enjoyed ever increasing popularity. In the 19th century, the so-called Tea Clippers brought the precious leaves to Europe. The cultivation of tea leaves was done on a grand scale in Ceylon, present day Sri Lanka, and in India. Picking tea leaves demands practice and experience so as not to damage the plants in the process. Tea leaves are imported in the typical tea chests, with their sheet metal protectors at the corners, in order to be able to transport this precious freight intact, to protect it from moisture and vermin, and to maintain its aroma.