Porcelain & China

The art of decorated porcelain originated in China over 1,000 years ago. In the 1100s, it was exported to Europe for only the wealthiest patrons. Because porcelain from China was held in such high esteem, it was commonly referred to as "china," in reference to the country from which it originated. Because of high demand, European potteries rushed to figure out the formula for China's famous porcelain. In 1712, a French Jesuit father who had visited China published the secrets to porcelain making, thereby giving Europe the chance to successfully produce their own fine porcelain.

The first European hard-paste porcelain created was from the company Meissen, which is still a sought-after name by porcelain collectors. Established in 1710, Meissen porcelain was once-fired and noted for its great resistance to thermal shock. Experiments with soft-paste porcelain began in the early 1700s and one of the first European soft-paste porcelain factories, Chantilly, was established in France in 1730. It is called soft-paste because the porcelain, produced by special combination of clay and powdered glass, does not easily retain its shape in the wet state.

Bone china was developed in England in 1748 in order to compete with imported hard and soft paste porcelain. Traditionally, it was made from two parts bone-ash, one part kaolin, and one part china stone. Porcelain's use adapted over the centuries from table wares to figurines and vases, and can even be used as electrical insulation and building material.