Back in the old days, Europeans had a fever for Chinese tea sets. These great items from thousands of miles away had qualities that no one had ever seen or could duplicate. The price for fine china tea sets was quite high, but it was well worth it for those who had money. The colors and material fascinated almost everyone who saw them.
And then a new kind of porcelain was made in the 18th century that sent everyone wild. Merchants immediately set off for Jingdezhen, China's porcelain capital, to see if they could get their hands on some truly great items.
What was the invention? Famille rose porcelain, which was celebrated for its colorful motifs.
When set beside the earlier Blue-and-White porcelain, Famille Rose porcelain clearly is special for its rich colors, which involve a much more complicated manufacturing process. Potters had to apply the skills fine painting to achieve the illusion of three dimensions. Also, they had to master the fine skill of firing so the finished pieces could shine with a gentle and soft luster.
This caused some emperors to send their best painters down the Jingdezhen to create some truly remarkable Famille rose porcelain items.
But the truth is, there was much more to this porcelain than what happened in China. Not many people know it, but Europe had some monumental contributions as well.
Ceramic scholars say that the Famille Rose evolved from color enamels, which was introduced from Europe to China in the 16th century by Jesuit missionaries.
But that's not all, because the pigments had to continuously come from abroad for many years. The Chinese didn't actually know how to make those colors themselves, so they had to rely on importing it from Europe.
After the first batch of Famille Rose porcelain hit European markets, Europeans simply couldnt get enough of it. The import of this beautiful porcelain survives to this day. Today, an exquisite antique Famille Rose china tea set runs millions of dollars as collectors compete with each other at auctions.
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