Quzhou Milky White Porcelain

Quzhou Milky White Porcelain

Quzhou Milky White Porcelain is a protected geographical indication product.

　　　Quzhou Milky White Porcelain is as thin as silk, as clean as jade, as smooth as grease, and as bright as crystal. It is one of China’s four major series of white porcelain. Renowned for its delicate texture, soft glaze, translucent brightness, and resemblance to both ivory and mutton-fat jade, it is celebrated as a treasure among ceramics. In 1981 and 1982, it respectively received the “Major Scientific and Technological Achievement Award” from the National Ministry of Light Industry and the Ministry of Culture, and in 1988, it was honored with the “Bronze Award for Excellent Export Product” by the Ministry of Light Industry.

　　　　The Milky White Porcelain features novel and unique designs and exquisite craftsmanship, making it highly favored by literati, celebrities, and international friends. Mr. Yin Shoushi, president of the Beijing Painting Academy, after admiring the “Ancient Goblet Set,” inscribed the praise: “Shaped like a goblet, clean as jade.” Professor Deng Bai, a ceramic expert from the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts, composed a poem in admiration: “I love Quzhou’s new creations best, their gleaming whiteness surpasses mutton-fat jade…” Mr. Shuzyo Akira from Tokyo, Japan, wrote: “Quzhou white porcelain is unparalleled under heaven.” The porcelain caused a sensation at the Louisiana World Exposition in the United States, the Basel International Fair in Switzerland, and the Asia-Pacific Expo in Tokyo, Japan, sparking strong interest among foreign merchants. The products are sold in over twenty countries and regions across five continents, including the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, the Congo, Singapore, and Hong Kong, as well as in major cities across China.

　　　　Milky White Porcelain was successfully developed in 1980 by Engineer Yan Xiaomin of the Quzhou Porcelain Factory under the guidance of the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts and the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Light Industry. Its production highlights include: using abundant rare-earth raw materials from local areas such as Waihuang and Dachuan, combined with specially sourced kaolin. After processes like raw material crushing, slurry making, pressing, and “vacuum refining” in a clay refining machine, semi-finished raw materials are formed. The “clay discs” are then transported to the semi-finished product workshop, where they are meticulously hand-carved into finished blanks. These are subsequently fired in kilns to produce the final Milky White Porcelain. The entire crafting process emphasizes refined formulas, detailed carving, and strict kiln temperatures, ensuring the porcelain remains at the forefront of domestic production. Moreover, due to the difficulty of production—with a qualified output rate of only 10–15%—it has fostered a sense of “rarity makes precious” among customers.

　　　　In terms of design, Milky White Porcelain strives for elegance and delicacy, offering a refreshing and almost mythical aesthetic. The product line includes approximately 170 varieties, such as practical ceramics like wine sets, tea sets, coffee sets, tableware, and table lamps that embody Chinese ethnic characteristics and contemporary flair; as well as decorative pieces like exquisitely shaped and vividly crafted figurines of ladies, Guanyin, Bodhidharma, animals, vases, and incense burners. Historical figures such as Ji Gong, Zhong Kui, Li Shizhen, and Yue Fei are depicted with lifelike detail. Among them, the “Ancient Goblet Set,” with its classic and elegant design, reflects China’s long-standing historical culture and was selected as a prop for the film “Li Qingzhao.” The “Mermaid Fish Tank,” with its smooth lines, features a beautiful mermaid reclining at the mouth of the tank—charming, refined, and thought-provoking. The products have won national ministerial-level awards twelve times and provincial or departmental-level awards nineteen times. They have been collected by the Palace Museum in Beijing and the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, and have been presented as treasures to foreign dignitaries.

　　The protected geographical indication area for Quzhou Milky White Porcelain covers six administrative regions in Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province: the urban areas of Kecheng District, Qujiang District, Longyou County, Changshan County, Kaihua County, and Jiangshan City.