Exported Chinese
porcelains were held in such great esteem in Europe that in the
English language china became a synonym for porcelain.
Bone china is made from cow bone ash and other ingredients.
The addition of animal bone ash gives bone china a warm color, while
fine china is a brighter white. Bone china has a translucent quality
compared to fine china. Fine china is made the same way, replacing
bone with kaolin clay.
Spone china - American artist Charles Krafft replaced cow
bone ash with human bone ash, retrieved from a crematorium.
Porcelain is fired at a higher temperature and is much
harder. Porcelain gets its name from old Italian porcellana (cowrie
shell) because of its resemblance to the translucent surface of the
shell. The raw materials are finely ground, cleaned, formed in a
mold, and then fired.
If the temperature is high the finished product is more durable and
known as porcelain. If it’s fired at a lower temperature it becomes
fine china. Fine china is much softer than porcelain, making it
suitable for plates and cups. Porcelain is strong enough and durable
enough for a wide range of products, such as electrical insulators
and toilets. Bottom line, all china is porcelain, but not
all porcelain is china.