Silt And Sugar

This exhibition of works from the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia’s permanent collection — including three new acquisitions — highlights the social customs and material culture surrounding the most widely consumed beverage in the world: tea. 

Originating in Eastern Asia, the cultivation of tea and the creation of ceramic pottery have grown side by side for millennia. As they became established, both of these practices evolved into diverse cultural traditions. These works showcase this globally connected and regionally unique history, drawing our attention to the functional and decorative objects that we have come to associate with a simple household staple.

Image: Milk and Creamer, Leigh Paynter and Ruth Paynter, c 1980’s, Gift of Léopold L. Foulem, Montreal, Quebec, 2020, with assistance from the Jean and Lloyd Shaw Endowment Fund. Photo credit: Léopold L. Foulem