One N.Y. art museum show that’s good to the last drop

Think that morning dose of double latte in a paper cup is a real luxury? Hardly.

A new exhibit showcases some real richness, such as silver jugs and porcelain cups used for chocolate, coffee and tea as they swept through Europe as upper-crust drinks of choice.

“Chocolate, Coffee, Tea” opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art last week and runs through July 11. Taking over one of the museum’s galleries, the several dozen items cover a time period from the 17th century to the very beginning of the 20th century.

“These three beverages all entered Europe by the 17th century and in the process had an enormous impact on European customs and ultimately on the decorative arts that served those customs,” said Ian Wardropper, head of the Met’s Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts.

The exhibit starts with chocolate, found in Central America, where it was only meant for the upper classes. It came to Europe through Spain in the late 1500s, and by the late 17th century, special pots were being made for it.

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to discover tea in the early 16th century when traders traveled to China. By the early 18th century, its popularity had led to the creation of a number of special utensils for consuming it -- teapots, kettles, sugar bowls, spoons, tongs, even tables meant specifically for storing different types of tea.

Coffee came to Europe in the early 17th century through trade with the Middle East, and by the middle part of that century, coffeehouses had already come into existence as gathering places for people to drink, socialize and exchange ideas.

Wardropper said he hoped the exhibit would show visitors the way the decorative arts “followed in service of the functional needs these beverages brought to Europe.”