What Are Porcelain Vases?
The material we know as porcelain originated in China over 3,500 years ago. By Marco Polo’s arrival in 1295 A.C.E., shortly after the end of the Song dynasty (960 A.C.E. to 1279 A.C.E), white Chinese porcelain had reached the height of perfection. As Europe would soon discover, porcelain’s delicacy and surprising strength made it the perfect material for crafting beautiful bowls, dishes, plates, and vases. The History of Porcelain Vases Though few people realize it, the word porcelain is actually suggestive of its Chinese origins. At the time Polo visited China, smooth, shiny, and porcelain-like cowrie shells were being used by the Chinese as currency. The similar appearance of porcelain and cowrie shells led Italians to call porcelain porcellana, or cowrie shell, a word that in French became porcelain. For centuries, porcelain vases were referred to as China or fine China, because Europeans were continually unable to manufacture real porcelain. Some porcelain vases and other items wer
