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UPON his return home from a trade mission to China in 851, an Arabian merchant described to a captivated audience a wondrous article he had seen during his travels. It was an exquisite vase, one so transparent you could see the water it con- tained inside. But the vase, the merchant enthused, a piece of porcelain, “was made from opaque clay.” Impressed by the craft, Middle-Eastern merchants soon began to import large quantities of the high-end Chinese handicraft. A flourishing trade in porcelain, silk and tea quickly developed, spurred on by the evolution of the Old Silk Road. By the 14th century, Chinese arts and crafts were familiar adornments in aristocratic houses of Africa, Europe and the Middle East. However, geographical distance hampered the develop- ment of truly thriving international trade. In order to satisfy soaring demand, canny Europeans decided to try to unlock the secrets of porcelain-making, and to manufacture similar articles closer to home. However, the process proved more complex than the would-be porcelain craftsmen had imagined, and it was not until the 18th century that they managed a real break- through. That breakthrough came, according to Jan Divis, author of European Porcelain: An Illustrated History, when French missionary Francois-Xavier Dentrecolles discovered padding, glazing and kilning techniques in Jingdezhen, and after a seven-year stint there, brought them home. Towns such as Jingdezhen, where porcelain was pains- takingly developed over centuries, are still found through-out the country. It matters not that their porcelain processes were eventually compromised by outsiders-today these towns remain the masters of their trade.
UPON his return home from a trade mission to China in 851, an Arabian merchant described to a captivated audience a wondrous article he was seen during his travels. It was an exquisite vase, one so transparent you could see the water it con-tained inside . But the vase, the merchant enthused, a piece of porcelain, “was made from opaque clay.” Impressed by the craft, Middle-Eastern merchants soon began import large quantities of the high-end Chinese handicraft. A flourishing trade In porcelain, silk and tea quickly developed, spurred on by the evolution of the Old Silk Road. By the 14th century, Chinese arts and crafts were familiar adornments in aristocratic houses of Africa, Europe and the Middle East. However, geographical distance hampered the Develop-ment of truly thriving international trade. In order to satisfy soaring demand, canny Europeans decided to try to unlock the secrets of porcelain-making, and to similar articles closer to home. However, the process pr Oved more complex than the would-be porcelain craftsmen had imagined, and it was not until the 18th century that they managed a real break- through. That breakthrough came, according to Jan Divis, author of European Porcelain: An Illustrated History, when French The missionary Francois-Xavier Dentrecolles discovered padding, glazing and kilning techniques in Jingdezhen, and after a seven-year stint there, brought them home. Towns such as Jingdezhen, where porcelain was pains-takingly developed over centuries, are still found through-out the Country. It matters not that their lilac processes were ended compromised by outsiders-today these towns remain the masters of their trade.