Ceramics: A Brief History

Comprised mostly of clay mixed with pulverized rock or sand and then baked or 'fired,' its strength and impermeable quality allow it to be used in a myriad of ways from storage to false teeth. Ceramic products include earthenware, stoneware, pottery, porcelain, tile, brick and even glass. The type of ceramic depends upon the materials, proportion, and method of its production. One easy example of this is a comparison of earthernware (mostly clay) to glass (mostly sand).

Read more about Yuchanyan and the world's oldest pottery.

Understanding Porcelain

Porcelain, also called chinaware or china, consists mainly of two materials — white clay (called kaolin) and feldspar that when heated to high temperatures, forms an almost glass-like material. It is often glazed to make it smooth and impermeable; unglazed porcelain is referred to as bisque.  High quality porcelain is thin, semi-translucent, and rings like a bell when struck. 

The Chinese were the leading manufacturers of the finest quality porcelain for centuries. As trade with the Orient increased and the custom of drinking tea became popular, Europeans became enamored with Chinese porcelain and began trying to demystify the process that China and Japan had been using. The first resulting product is termed 'soft paste' porcelain, which was developed in Italy around 1575. While a good imitation, soft paste remains relatively fragile and porous. The secret of true 'hard paste' porcelain was not discovered until the early 18th century by a German chemist,  Johann Friedrich Bottger, who went on to establish a factory in Meissen. Assisted by scientist Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus, Bottger was actually being held under house arrest by Augustus the Elector of Saxony who demanded he discover a way to create gold!

Many factories emerged during the European porcelain craze. Some of the best known include Limoges, Sevres and Worcester. Bone china is another fine porcelain created by the English, which incorporates animal bone ash in its mix of ingredients. Spode is one such factory that produces this type of chinaware. Several original factories remain in operation today while many newer companies have formed, such as Lenox and Noritake.  Ironically, the mass production of porcelain in China today is of lower quality while finer porcelain comes from EU countries such as Germany, France, and the Czech Republic.