EXHIBITION OF TEAS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8267, 28 May 1890, Page 6

EXHIBITION OF TEAS.

A NOVEL DISPLAY. Yesterday a most interesting display was opened in the Victoria Arcade by the well known and enterprising firm of Messrs. L. D. Nathan and Co., who have rented a shop there and fitted it up as a the simile of the bay at the Dunedin Exhibition in which their exhibit of Indian and China teas was shown. The collection is a large and varied one, and secured a first class certificate. The shop has been carefully arranged, and the decorations are most chaste and unique, being almost entirely of an Oriental character. Flanking the entrance on either side are two large black and gold show-cases, with plate-glass fronts, of a most ornate character, and a handsome conical one of similar design stands in the middle of the floor. These are filled with teas in open jars, in packets, tins, and boxes neatly arranged in tiers, while boxes and tins are packed in rows between the show cases. Messrs. Nathan and Co. have for years past given great attention to teablending, and have secured the services of an expert of great skill. Their blends, which they put up for sale in air-tight tins of from 2 to '201 are eight in number. Four of these are mixtures of Indian and China teas, three are pure Indian, while the eighth is a choice Ceylon variety. Concerning the ornamentation of the show-room, it i* well worth a visit. The walls are encircled with a rich dado of black about three feet high, upon which are painted very handsome designs of flowers, trees, birds, etc., in gold and silver, after the Chinese style. Above this are suspended numerous gorgeous " kaikamonas," or Japanese screens, in rich colours, alternating with handsome show-cards turned out at the Herald Office to the firm's order. Upon a suitable groundwork, higher on the wall, Oriental fans of every colour, shape and design are displayed, while gay-coloured lanterns depend from the ceiling, while an immense umbrella, with grotesque painting in crimson, black, and grey, forms an effective shade to the chandelier. Between the front portion of the shop a division is formed by several folding screens, neatly placed. These are of great beauty and value, while above them is hanging a painted scene representing a tea garden in the Darjeeling district. The back portion of the shop is arranged as a reception room, I'tid comfortable seats are placed for the convenience of lady visitors, to whom dainty cups of the most aromatic and inviting tea are handed by a deft and polite waitress, with the accessories of cream, sugar, and biscuits. Articles of bric-a-brac and vertu not frequently seen are dispersed about the room, and the tout ensemble is as charming as quaint. Yesterday the exhibition was open only to special visitors and the press, but to-dny the proprietors invite the public to attend and learn what a " first class cup o'tea" really is. We predict that Messrs. Nathan and Co.'s "tea show" will become a most favourite lounge for the gentler sex during the next month.