Determining the weight of the tea chests in Canton, China

This watercolour sketch from the 18th century shows the weighing of tea chests with the insignia of the Dutch East India Company in a trading house in Canton, China. A group of Dutch traders, who are all clad in black and wearing a white headgear, is depicted on the left side of the picture with the tea crates. One of the dutch merchants is seated at the table with a Chinese clerk. This is one of four illustrations dedicated to the portrayal of the production and export of Chinese tea by the Dutch East India Company.

Determining the weight of the tea chests, watercolour on paper, ca. 1770, unknown artist; source: Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.338231, public domain.