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1896.62.29

Tea leaves pressed into a circular cake with a hollow in the centre.

1896.62.29

Digital asset copyright: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford

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Collection type
Object
Description
Tea leaves pressed into a circular cake with a hollow in the centre.
Person
Field collector Robert T. Turley
PRM source Robert T. Turley
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1896
Date collected
By 1896
Acquisition information
Purchased: 1896
Materials and processes
Material Tea Plant
Dimensions
Diameter: max 180 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1896.62.29
Research and responses

This tea brick was sampled by Melody Li, DPhil Archaeology candidate at the University of Oxford, on Thursday 14 August 2025. The sampling process is described as follows:

Analysis Method (Thermal Desorption Headspace GC-MS)

Non-invasive method to sample volatile organic compounds of museum objects to collect chemical information and ‘smell’ – relevant to DPhil topic exploring taste and smell of plants in archaeology using tea as a case study. DPhil centred around methods development; museum tea bricks provide useful analogy before moving onto archaeological samples of tea; museum tea bricks also help understand degradation of tea VOCS over time.

Sample Preparation

Viewed tea bricks, photographed, took notes. Each tea brick was placed inside an individual pre-labelled Nalophan sampling bag. Each bag was secured by folding multiple times then clipping with bulldog clips. Placed bags with tea brick inside cardboard box for storage in the PRM Conservation Laboratory, for 45 days, average room temperature 19-20℃.

Sample Collection

Removed tea bricks from cardboard box. Before sampling, tried to stretch out Nalophan bag so it had as much surface area as possible. Photographed brick inside the bag, then first checked each bag for the best location to insert the sampling probe. Connected Markes International stainless steel sorbent tubes to vacuum pump. Pierced bag at appropriate location, inserted sorbent tube into bag and sealed opening with masking tape, turned on vacuum pump for 20min. After 20 minutes removed tube, replaced cap, labelled and placed sample in collection box. After all samples collected, took them for chemical analysis.

Sample Analysis (Thermal Desorption GC-MS)

Volatile organic compounds collected in sorbent tube will be analysed using GC-MS. Sorbent Tubes will be placed in cold trap attached to GC-MS column, then heated quickly to release VOCs and injected into GC-MS column for analysis.

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