The art of making decorated porcelain ware originated in China more than 1,000 years ago. From 960 through 1127, during the Song dynasty, emperors established factories to produce porcelain for the royal family. During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), the familiar underglazed blue-and-white patterns many people associate with fine "china" were developed, while detailed decorative painting over glaze also became a common technique.

Chinese porcelain was exported to Europe as early as the 1100s, but it was rare and only available to the very wealthy. During the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), a wider variety of designs were exported. Demand for china cups and saucers increased as tea, coffee, and hot chocolate became popular beverages. Each drink demanded its own type of pot, cups, and accessories.

In response to the demand, European potteries attempted to manufacture their own porcelain, and by the 18th century, the Europeans were successfully competing with the Chinese. F...

True hard-paste porcelain production in Europe began in 1710 at the German factory of Meissen. Among its many innovations, Meissen gets credit for introducing the porcelain figurine. Meanwhile, English potteries started producing bone china in large quantities around the middle of the century in Staffordshire at Stoke-on-Trent, where Josiah Spode established his pottery, and in Bristol, where Royal Worcester got its start.

Although technical advances made porcelain more available to a wider range of people during the 19th century, earthenware (baked clay) and stoneware (clay fired at an intense heat to make it nonporous) continued to be popular for dinnerware items. Mass-production of china and dinnerware began in the late 19th century, with a corresponding decline in the quality of craftsmanship and materials. Fine porcelain dinnerware was more commonly used for decoration than to hold food. By the 20th century, colorful functional designs such as Franciscan and Fiesta were in high demand.

Collectors today have access to a wide variety of antique and vintage china and dinnerware. In this section we provide a sampling of some of the major makers, styles and regions, including British (Royal Doulton, Royal Albert, Spode, Wedgwood, Royal Worcester, Johnson Brothers), Japanese (Noritake), German (Meissen, which is sometimes referred to, inaccurately, as Dresden china), French (Limoges, Haviland), Danish (Royal Copenhagen), and American (stoneware, Fiesta, Franciscan, Lenox, Red Wing).

About our sources | Got something to add?

▼ Expand to read the full article ▼

Interviews & Articles

Bowes Curator Howard Coutts on Meissen, Staffordshire, and Sèvres

I’m the curator of the ceramics bit of the Bowes Museum. It’s a big museum with 30 galleries of which three or four are devoted to… [more]

Red Wing Beyond the Crock: Larry Roschen on the Stoneware Legend’s Dinnerware

When the Red Wing Stoneware Company was founded in 1877 in Red Wing, Minnesota, the company only made stoneware like crocks and ju… [more]

Identifying China By Its Paste

Illogical though it may seem, few of the thousands of American china collectors know how to distinguish between hard- and soft-pas… [more]

Ceramics Used in America From 1830 to 1859

In the 19th century affluent Americans enjoyed ready access to the ceramic markets of the world. The result was the greatest known… [more]

Hausmaler Decoration on Fayence and Porcelain

This is a province of Germanic art not known to many of us. If there are no awe inspiring peaks and no big rushing streams it is n… [more]

American Vogues in Porcelain Since Colonial Days

For the most part our colonial ancestors were accustomed to a simple and even frugal mode of life. But here and there along the ea… [more]

The Three Periods of Oriental Lowestoft

Through sheer longevity and persistence, the term Oriental Lowestoft has become the designation for all Chinese porcelain made exp… [more]

English Portraiture in Ceramics

Although English artists began working very early in other media, the making of portrait busts and statues in ceramics lagged far … [more]

Exhibition of Cup Plates

It is always a matter of pleasure to collectors, who visit antiques shows, to find the commercial aspect made somewhat less obtrus… [more]

Decorative Accessories of 18th Century English Porcelain

Whilst much thought and attention has been given to the purely decorative figures and objects produced by the 18th-Century English… [more]

Oriental Lowestoft

"A sett of large blue and white China with the badge of the Society of the Cincinnati if to be had, " wrote George Washington to h… [more]

Oriental Lowestoft from Mexico

When one sees a piece of Oriental Lowestoft or a China trade item, the clock turns back a century and a half or more. In the shado… [more]

▼ Expand this section

Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

Restaurant Ware Collectors Network

Restaurant Ware Collectors Network

Don't miss this collaborative reference guide to china and dinnerware used in public, commercial venues. The site c… [read review or visit site]

The Bowes Museum: Ceramics

The Bowes Museum: Ceramics

This gallery showcases 2,130 of the 5,000 items in the museum's ceramics collection dating from 1500-1900. Include… [read review or visit site]

Ceramics at The V&A

Ceramics at The V&A

A great reference on ceramics from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Learn about different ceramics techniques and st… [read review or visit site]



Top eBay Auctions

Showing 60. See all 1,128 by  highest bidmost watchedcompleted
Sevres Marly Rouge Plate 1809 Napoleon 1 Porcelaine Empire Porzellan An Extremely Fine Meissen Pate-sur-pate Vase, 19th Century.figure Handles.Royal Albert " Lady Carlyle" 115pc./ Serving For 12, Bone China/ EnglandRs Prussia Cobalt Spring Season BowlVintage Fiesta Gray Juice Pitcher With 6 Promotional TumblersHuge Antique Meissen Porcelain Figural Group 19c German Porzellan Figurine Vintage Rosenthal Mickey Mouse FigurineVery Rare Royal Doulton Mephistopheles And Marguerite ** Must See Pp 8 Plates 1094, 8 Sitzendorf Dresden Porcelain Napoleon Traveling Through The SnowRoyal Copenhagen #1025/0332 Animal Figurine - Cat - Erik Nielsen - 1st QualityDresden~large15Full Set Of Six - Five Piece Place Settings Of Royal Crown Derby Bone China Wonderful And Rare Art Deco Royal Doulton Figure - Fanny!6 Haviland Limoges Schleiger #330 Soup Coupe Bowls Excellent!!Royal Worcester Evesham Gold 1961 Porcelain, 8 Place Settings + Bread PlatesRoyal Worcester Lynbrook Pattern --service For 12! $1,240 Value!Large Royal Doulton Flambe RhinoDoulton Lambeth Hannah Barlow Pony Vase 1882 SignedLenox Monroe Cream Soup With UnderplateVintage Limoges Jardiniere With Base Pedestal France Hand Painted Decorated19th C. Hand Painted Helena Wolfshon Dresden Flower Porcelain 15 PiecesJkw Love Story Dishes - YellowJkw Love Story Dishware - Light Turquoise BlueJkw Lovestory Dishes - BrownEnglish C1874 Set Of 12 Dinner Plates Royal Worcester Porcelain Hand Painted NrWedgwood Lamp, Blue Jasper By Harry Buten / Museum, Brass, Jasper Finial, C1970sRoyal Copenhagen Flora Danica Plate Oxalis AcetocellaRoyal Doulton Pottery A Little Boy Called Love H1545 Rare Harradine Figurine Herend Black Fishnet Large Panda! Uniquely Colored With Terra Cotta Eyes!Royal Doulton Do You Wonder Where Fairies Are Hn1544 Rare Harradine ChildMagnificent Large Royal Worcester Harry Davis Porcelain Vase C.late19th Cent.Stoneware Crock F.b. Norton Worcester Mass Decorated Huge Blue BirdScarce Huge Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Polar Bear 4753Herend Rothschild Bird Set Of 8 Dinner Plates Royal Doulton Character Toby Jug Large Red Gardener Colourway Very RareWedgwood Fairyland Lustre "leapfrogging Elves"Very Rare Elegant 1890 R.s. Prussia Vase W/ Beautiful PortraitsChina Set; Johnson Brothers White Richmond PatternZsolnay Beautiful Handpainted "persian" Pattern Mocha / Coffee Set For 6Ridgway Blue Transferware Dresden Opaque China Dinner Plates 1840 Q12 FloralCarlton Ware Art Deco Lidded Box Sketching Bird TurquoiseHerend Queen Victoria Baroque Vase Breakfast Set ***sweet Nancy*** Royal Winton 1930Vintage Fiesta Ware Promotional Sugar, Cream & Figure 8 Tray SetMonumental 19thc Meissen Porcelain Figural Reticulated Centerpiece Basket 22"Royal Doulton "field Marshall Montgomery" Figurine Hn3405 Mint Cond! Super Rare!Haberle Brewing Company Stoneware Match Safe - Syracuse, Ny, Jumbo Size!Tiffany Summer China SetRare Bay Shore, Long Island, New York 1/2 Gal Stoneware Jug Butcher & GrocerFabulous C.1900 Zsolnay, J Fischer Budapest Hungary 18.5 In. Tall PitcherRoyal Copenhagen #1553/1310 - Animal Figurine - Large Cow Head Down - ExcellentAntique Fat Herring Omaha Ne Fish Crock Barrel Stone Ware Mccord Brady Pickled Rare Royal Doulton Flambe Sealyham Standing ** Style Two ** Must SeeWild Strawberry 30 Piece Set (6 - 5 Piece Settings) Wedgewood Bone ChinaSuperb Hutschenreuther Porcelain Partridge & Stoat Figure GroupRoyal Copenhagen Flora Danica Chocolate Cup & Serrated Saucer No Reserve MintStunnimng Shelley Mabel Lucie Attwell Nursery Tea Set 53 Pieces Of Lenox Poppies On Blue & For The Blue DinnerwareAwesome 27pc Royal Crown Derby Imari Group -2451