One of the most telling ways to distinguish whether or not your jar is of Chinese or Japanese origin is to examine the rims and borders of the piece. In the Chinese style, the border is typically decorated in the Ruyi fashion: a colorful, decorative border about one inch in width.

How does Chinese porcelain different from the Japanese variety?

In contrast, Japanese porcelain was generally thicker, had stilt marks or tiny bubbles on the underside of the pieces, and was often blandly colored. Chinese porcelain was known to be more artistic in nature and was prized over the Japanese varieties by foreign buyers.

Where is the best porcelain made?

China Hard-paste porcelain was invented in China, and also used in Japanese porcelain, and most of the finest quality porcelain wares are in this material.

How can you tell the quality of porcelain tile?

The grade of porcelain tile is affected by the mixture of materials used in its manufacture, but mostly the grade is determined by the tiles thickness. Thin, grade 1 tiles are not necessarily lower in quality than higher grades, they just have different uses.

What country makes the best porcelain?

Porcelain derives its present name from the old Italian porcellana (cowrie shell) because of its resemblance to the translucent surface of the shell. Porcelain can informally be referred to as china or fine china in some English-speaking countries, as China was the birthplace of porcelain making.