Chitra Collection: Guided Tour and Handling Session

Date: Tuesday 1 September 2026
Session 1: 11am – 12.30pm
Session 2: 1.30pm – 3.00pm

Host: Grace Benham, Curator of The Chitra Collection
Location: N.Sethia House, 105 St John St, London EC1M 4AS
Price: £20 (non refundable)

Booking Information
Visit the TICKETS page to purchase a ticket. Login to your OCS account to purchase tickets – any problems email .

This special object handling session offers a rare opportunity to engage closely with works from the Chitra Collection, one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of historic teawares. Comprising nearly 2,000 objects from across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, the collection spans over a thousand years and reflects the global cultural, social, and political significance of tea.

The session opens with a guided tour of collection highlights, with a particular focus on Asian ceramics and their historical and cultural context, offering insights relevant to the Society’s interests. This is followed by an object handling session, giving participants the chance to examine selected pieces at close range, in a small-group setting that encourages close looking, discussion, and the exchange of expertise. There are two sessions: one at 11am and a second at 1.30pm. Please ensure you are buying the correct session on the Tickets page. Ticket proceeds (after payment processors fees) will be donated to The Chintra Collection.

Booking Conditions

• Tickets are exclusively for OCS members and strictly non-transferable. Attendees’ names will be checked against the membership list.
• One ticket per member.
• Tickets are non refundable.
• Bookings that don’t meet these conditions may be cancelled.
• Cloakroom is available

Accessibility – If you have any access enquiries please contact in advance of your visit.

• Lift access
• Companion or carer welcome (please let us know in advance)
• Quiet spaces available
• Low stimulus lighting environment

This handling session is for OCS members only
Not a member? Join today!

Image: Courtesey of The Chitra Collection