Thé/TEA｜Guimet Photographic Collection

The Guimet Museum in Paris, housing the largest collection of Asian arts outside of Asia, has collected an invaluable array of historical photographs taken in Japan in the 19th century.  These views of a pivotal time in the nation’s history are gathered into one portfolio  in coordination with the 2016 Kyotographie photography festival in Kyoto. The select group of 20 images focuses on the various aspects of tea growing in Japan, including work by both Japanese and foreign photographers.

The 19th-century prints are reintroduced as collotypes by master artisans at the Benrido Atelier.  This process allows the unique tonal qualities and colors of the original prints to be faithfully replicated with maximum historical accuracy on fine art pulp paper.

The immersive limited edition of 2 hand-colored and 18 black and white prints is housed in a gorgeous green clothbound cover and includes an introduction by Jerome Ghesquiere, head of photography collections at the Guimet.