Chinese Tea Sets Didn’t Start In Europe, But They Learned Quickly!

China hasnt always been trying to catch up with the West. As early as the Middle Ages, the Chinese invented printing, gun powder, and the compass. The famous British philosopher Francis Bacon described these three inventions as those that had changed the whole face and state of things throughout the world. This was also the case with fine porcelain Chinese tea sets, which was perfected by the Chinese centuries before Europe even had a clue.

Eventually Chinese tea sets were brought to Europe, and almost immediately their popularity took off like wildfire. Craftsmen in Europe tried to copy the china tea sets to satisfy demand. As the tea sets became more and more popular, a solution had to be found.

Early on, European attempts were fruitless. Potters found the process to be very complicated. Moreover, there didnt seem to be any of the right clay around. The formula was still unclear, and the firing techniques were just something they couldnt master.

Then a young European alchemist came on the scene. Just 19 years old, Johann Bottger was given the impossible task of turning lead into gold for the kind of Poland. When he failed, he was jailed for a long time. But it was during this period that he started to study how to make porcelain.

With the support of porcelain-infatuated August the Strong, Johann found the right clay high in the Alps, and August gave him a constant supply.

Eventually, Johann figured it out! After many failed attempts, he started mixing the proper materials together with the precious clay and produced his first porcelain item. He also constructed a kiln that could compete with those in China.

He made tiny test tiles that were the first porcelain items ever made in Europe. But that was all he could do.

Around the same time of Johann’s tests, Pere d’Entrecolles, a Jesuit priest, made his way to Chinas Jingdezhen. This is where the worlds most amazing china tea sets were made. After some time studying, he published two books detailing the process of making Jingdezhen porcelain. Before long, factories making porcelain were set up across Europe.

Some say this would be a crime nowadays, but he got away with it!