A new exhibition that celebrates the broad range of styles and forms of tea ware across time and across the world will be on view March 11 to July 10, at Winterthur Museum and Country Estate.

“Time for Tea! Selections of Tea Ware from the Winterthur Collection” showcases more than 300 American, European, Chinese and even Turkish objects fashioned in earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, glass, silver, pewter and tin. The exhibited items range in date from the 1600s through the 1860s and were selected from Winterthur’s collection of hot beverage wares.

“The exhibition opens with teapots that illustrate the evolution of popular forms and decorative styles over time,” said Leslie Grigsby, exhibition curator and curator of ceramics and glass at Winterthur. “Also on view is a beautiful Tiffany silver tea service made in 1861. This item highlights not only the level of elegance but also the monumental size that tea sets could reach. Such a perfectly matched set, however, is a modern concept, and until the late 1700s, most early tea sets were amassed over time, and some featured a mixture of different ceramic or metalwork bodies.”

From the various tea ware forms, the focus of the exhibition then shifts to tea cups and saucers, exploring the economic and social reasons that thimble-size, handleless tea bowls made around 1700 evolved into the often large-capacity handled cups of the early 1800s. “Improvements in transportation, trade and manufacturing techniques as well as a reduction in taxes on tea and other goods all contributed to changes in vessel size as tea became more available to the general public,” continued Grigsby.

The exhibition also illustrates how consumers selected from a range of tea ware materials, decorative subjects and styles depending on the time period as well as on individual taste, location and economic status. A rich variety of tea from China and India became available in America starting in the 1700s. “Tea drinkers enjoyed several types of tea, with different leaf types and qualities,” noted Grigsby.

Teapot, made by Tiffany and Co., New York City, silver, 1861.

The impact of political issues, such as the Boston Tea Partyof 1773, and portrayals of such notable people as William Penn andGeorge Washington are also explored. Toy (or miniature) tea setswere luxury wares initially available only in wealthy households;by the mid-Nineteenth Century, toy tea sets were common in manynurseries -as they are today.

Design inspirations form an important thread throughout the exhibition. Nature-inspired Staffordshire creamware services were molded to resemble cauliflowers and decorated with glowing green leaves; other tea ware was sponged to represent the appearance of tortoiseshell or painted to imitate fossilized marble.

Chinese shapes and motifs traveled to the West on blue-and-white or multicolored porcelain and inspired the development of a fine ceramics industry in Europe.

Forms in pewter and brass resembled more costly silver wares. Some earthenware and porcelain vessels for serving hot beverages were coated in rich metallic lusters to imitate the luxurious bodies and fashionable metalwork forms.

“Time for Tea!” is included with all Winterthur admission tickets. Partial funding for the exhibition has been provided by the Farmhouse Foundation. Family activities, including crafts and a scavenger hunt, will take place Saturday, March 11, 10 am to 3 pm.

Winterthur, on Route 52, is six miles northwest of Wilmington, and five miles south of US Route 1. For information, 800-448-3883, 302-888-4600, TTY 302-888-4907 or www.winterthur.org.