'Le Thé', A Louis XV Chinoiserie Tapestry, Aubusson, workshop of François Picon (1755-1770), from the series 'La Tenture Chinoise' (The Story of the Emperor), after François Boucher and Jean-Joseph Dumons, third quarter 18th century

woven with a seated Mandarin and Empress taking tea seated at a table in the open air, with an attendant holding a parasol to create shade and another bringing tea to the table, with a small boy having tripped at their feet and broken a tea cup, with another attendant pouring the boiling water from the stove and making more tea, on the platform support of a small hut to the far right there is a young armed attendant helping a younger young boy drink some tea, all in an exotic landscape of tropical trees, flowers and plants, with a pagoda in the distance, in a four-sided shield cartouche and acanthus frame border, all woven within a four-sided shield cartouche and acanthus frame border

Sotheby's, Parke Bernet, New York, 1 June 1978, lot 412

Comparative Literature

Dario Boccara, Les Belles Heures de la Tapisserie, 1971, p.206
Charissa, Bremer-David, French Tapestries & Textiles in The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 1997, Cat. 9, pp.80-97
D & P. Chevalier, and P.F Bertrand, Les Tapisseries d'Aubusson et de Felletin, Lausanne, 1988, pp.112-118
Heinrich Göbel, Die Wandteppiche, 1928, Part II, Vol.ii, no.276
Dora Heinz, Europäische Tapisseriekunst, Vienna, 1995, pp. 278-279.

Overall measurements: 524cm across the top, 522cm across the bottom, 289cm along left side, 295cm along right side Tapestry with linen lining and linen tabs across top edge. Recommend Velcro attached across the top edge for hanging purposes in the future. There are two visible repairs, in the lower left corner, extending from the inner edge of the borders, vertically through the fire and up to level of brickwork, and visible as horizontal line extending to edge of inner left border. Borders cut and joined in the vertical borders, left and right towards the top, at same place on both sides. On the left it is level with the blue and purple cabochon in border and on the right it is level with top edge of the roof and top of trees far right. There is another horizontal line in left border through fifth cabochon down, and irregular lines in places on far right border, at different levels (below second cabochon down and above fourth cabochon down). There are some areas of minor losses to the silk highlights, commensurate with colour, to the clothing and highlights of vessels and flames. Some reweaving in areas, for example to areas of border, drapery and the tail of the parrot far right. Faces are very finely woven and with original colouration. Beautiful tapestry, of fine weave and highly decorative.
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Picon were a principal Aubusson weaving family in the 18th century. Jean- François Picon is recorded as having had a tapestry warehouse in Lisbon through which to trade. The designs of François Boucher, painter and engraver and director of the Gobelins from 1755-1770, including the Chinese scenes were woven in Aubusson with great success. Jean-Joseph Dumons, history painter and appointed painter and designer of His Majesty for the tapestry factories established in the town and suburbs of Aubusson and its environs. In 1755 Dumons took the place of Juliard as painter at Beauvais, and Juliard went to Aubusson.

The present tapestry is inspired by the series of nine tapestries based on the original series woven at Beauvais under the direction of Behagle, known as the Premiere Tenture Chinoise. The series is considered to depict the everyday life of the Chinese Emperors, believed to be Shunzhi (reigned 1644-1661) and Kangxi (reigned from 1661- 1722) and their Empresses. Many of the images are based on Johan de Nieuhof's Legatio bactavia ad magnum Tartatiae... of 1665 and include scenes such as the Audience of the Emperor, the Emperor on a Journey, the Emperor Sailing and the Empress Sailing, see Bremer-David, Charissa, French Tapestries & Textiles in The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 1997, Cat. 9, pp.80-97. The scenes included Le Repas chinoise (Le Festin de l'empereur), La Foire, La Danse, La Pêche, La Chasse and La Toilette. The second series, represented by the present tapestry, was by Dumons after sketches by François Boucher in the Musée de Besancon comprised of six compositions and they were also woven at Aubusson through Picon’s workshops in 1754, the designs being adapted and modified by Dumons and three additional designs being added to the series, which includes La Volière, Le Jardiniere and Le Thé.

For a wider version of this subject (246cm by 657cm), incorporating on the far right the additional standing figure of La Bergére a l'houlette (Chinese shepherdess with an unusual cape, feathered hat and wicker basket) see Sotheby's London, 12th November 1920, lot 133, (later offered in Arts of France, Christie's New York, 23rd October 1998, lot 100). It has the same distinctive cartouche and acanthus border, as the present tapestry. A version of this extended composition, without a border (232cm by 516cm. wide), is illustrated in Chevalier, D, Les Tapisseries d'Aubusson et de Felletin, 1988, pp.114-115 (Musée du Louvre).  For a narrower weaving without the hut and figures on the far right of the present tapestry, see Sotheby's, London, 11th June 2003, lot 70, within the same border type.