Tapestry: Le Thé de l'impératrice, from L'Histoire de l'empereur de la Chine Series

In a tapestry from a series known as The Story of the Emperor of China, the empress sits cross-legged on a large cushion beneath a small domed pavilion in the open air. A maid shields her from the sun with a parasol, while two others serve her fruit and tea. To the right, a square table holds a large metal ewer and a basket with various glass and blue-and-white porcelain vessels. Floral swags hang from the poles of the pavilion, and a circlet of flowers is suspended in the middle.

These tapestries are from a series called The Story of the Emperor of China, featuring imagined Chinese scenes. The Getty has six other tapestries from this same set: La Collation, La Récolte es ananas, Les Astronomes, L’Empereur en voyage, Le Retour de la chasse, and L’Embarquement de l’impératrice.