Take a look at the art of making porcelain in China.
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00:00Fine, crisp, and translucent.
00:17Many years ago, a dance between clay and fire gave rise to a tangible piece of art, porcelain.
00:26Flames in kilns around China have been burning since the Xia and Shang dynasties.
00:32Along the way, porcelain was born.
00:37Porcelain is ceramic made by heating raw materials, often a mix between china stone and kiln clay.
00:45In a kiln at a temperature as high as 1,200 degrees Celsius.
00:52Temperature is key to making porcelain.
00:55Going through the fire of reinvention at a high temperature, this does porcelain with
01:00greater strength, more translucence, and a feast of colors.
01:07Celadon produced in Longquan, Zhejiang province, a technique passed down for more than 1,600
01:14years, is a typical example of a craftsman's pursuit of the perfect grain gland.
01:21It takes 72 steps to produce Longquan Celadon's jade-like grain.
01:28Plum grain and light grain, or Tianqing, are two colors of the best quality.
01:35Porcelain has also been a carrier for cultural exchanges.
01:39Along with China's silk and tea, porcelain was one of the first commodities to receive
01:45worldwide trade.
01:47As it traveled around the globe through the ancient maritime silk road, porcelain enjoyed
01:53great popularity among royal families and upper classes in Europe, who were enamored
01:59by these beautiful vessels they named after China, a product that could be produced only
02:07in the Far East.
02:09Porcelain began as a practical utensil and evolved into pieces of art.
02:15Even when shattered into pieces and buried deep in mud, cultural values attached to
02:21porcelain would never dissipate.
02:25As a memory that can be felt with both hands, porcelain is touchable history.