. "In the 18th century, the consumption of tea, like coffee and chocolate, was largely the preserve of the elite and demanded elaborate rituals. It provided commercial opportunities for manufacturers and importers of tablewares, and new vessels for preparing and serving those drinks were introduced. Elegance of presentation was essential, as the fashion for the new hot drinks went hand in hand with an increased emphasis on etiquette, and refined behaviour.\n\nAn imitation of Japanese and Chinese lacquer, Vernis Martin is a generic term refering to high-quality japanning produced in 18th-century France. Intended as a substitute for Oriental lacquer, Vernis Martin was applied in a similar manner to true lacquer: several layers of varnish, each left to dry and rubbed down before the next application, were applied on to the piece. Vernis Martin was produced in many different colours ranging from black and red and to a deep Prussian blue. It bears the name of its most accomplished practitioners, the brothers Guillaume and Etienne-Simon Martin who perfected the technique in the 1730s and were granted letters of patent for it. Also highly skilled at restoring Asian lacquer, the brothers' reputation was such that Voltaire commented that they had 'surpassed the art of China'. Since pieces were neither signed nor marked, the Martin brothers' authorship can be difficult to establish. As Kopplin established, the only genuine indicators of Vernis Martin are the high quality of the lacquer and the painting, and the inventive use of ornamental techniques."@en . . .