Porcelain was created for the first time in China, during Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). That is an estimate, however--no one really knows for sure. By the Song Dynasty (960–1279), it had been perfected so that a pure white porcelain was possible and it became the envy of the Western world. The Chinese consider porcelain to be a stoneware, while the Western world considers it a translucent white-body ware. Porcelain was first mentioned in the West in 851 by a merchant named Suleiman. He wrote, "The Chinese have a fine clay of which they make drinking vessels as fine as glass; one can see the liquid contained in them." The art of firing white china clay and china stone was achieved by T'ang potters (618-906). Demand for porcelain grew and state kilns were used to fire large quantities--up to 25,000 pots at once. The process of making porcelain did not catch on in Europe for quite some time--the 15th century, to be exact. The first porcelain factory in Europe wasn't established until 1709 in Germany. England followed suit in 1751 with their factory. Thanks to the Silk Road, the beauty of porcelain was recognized and highly prized throughout China and the Western world in due time. With all of the trade and innovations that took place over a long period of time, isn't it ironic that porcelain wasn't made in Japan until after 1600?
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