There’s something to be said about having a nice set of china. Being a poor college student, I’ve tended to do all of my dinnerware shopping at Wal-Mart and Target, but I recently picked up a few pieces of china dinnerware at a discount, and the difference in quality is noticeable.
Chinese porcelain has a long and storied history, dating back more than 18,000 years ago, to the Paleolithic era, when humans first discovered how to create hardened ceramics by heating clay in fire. Fragments of pots and vases from that era have been found in the Yuchanyan Cave in southern China, which shows the early involvement of the region in the development of pottery.
It wasn’t until 200 BC, during the reign of the Han Dynasty, that the Chinese started to make true porcelain using china clay, porcelain stone, and high powered heating ovens. The Chinese perfected the art of pottery over the next few centuries, and came to be known as the world’s best makers of porcelain. The Chinese soon began trading with the West, and the highly prized china found its way into the palaces and homes of the wealthiest kings and nobility.
The development of china culminated in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) during which the Chinese developed the now famous blue and white underglazed porcelain which they are known for. Their technique was refined further during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), in which Chinese potters began experimenting with more colors and designs, and created what are now some of the world’s most precious artistic treasures.
By the 1700s, Europe began to compete with China in making porcelain. England, Germany, Italy, and France all became centers for porcelain creation, and transformed the ancient Chinese art with an European flavor. The English, for example, decorated their porcelain with paintings and designs reminiscent of Ancient Greece, which grew to great popularity.
European potters also tended to use different materials than their Chinese counterparts, with porcelain made of earthenware and stoneware. Even though the pottery was made in Europe, however, it was still referred to as “china” in reference to its historical origin.
It wasn’t until the modern era and the industrial revolution that the cost of Chinese porcelain came down so that it could be afforded by the masses, thanks to advancements in production technology. Even then, costs remained relatively high, and having a nice set of fine porcelain was seen as a status symbol of middle class living, well into the 20th century.
Given how valued china has been in the past, it’s incredible how low the cost of Chinese porcelain is these days. You can easily just sit at home, browse the internet, and order a set of china dinnerware, discounted to an affordable price. The Lennox Murray China 5-Piece Dinnerware set, for example, can be had at a 23% discount, and the Mediterra Menorca Dinnerware set can be found for more than 50% off.
The development of Chinese porcelain has come a long way, and it’s eye opening to know a little bit about the history of what has become such a common place item as to be found in the dinnerware set in almost every kitchen. If you’re still stuck using plastic and paper plates, there’s no better time to get china dinnerware at discount.
-Takeshi, shopping blogger and Chinese porcelain historian
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