The Fine Art Of Dining: Exploring China's Renowned Tableware Brands

China tableware is more than just tableware—it's art, history, and culture served on a plate. The best fine china brands have elevated dining tables worldwide with their intricate designs and refined craftsmanship. From classic to contemporary, these brands offer timeless elegance that has graced the tables of royalty, celebrities, and discerning collectors. With a rich history spanning centuries, fine china has evolved from ancient China to modern tables worldwide, captivating collectors with its delicate beauty. Porcelain, created from kaolin clay and petuntse stone, is characterised by its delicate translucency, achieved through firing at extremely high temperatures. Bone china, made by adding bone ash to porcelain, offers added strength and whiteness, resulting in thinner and lighter pieces. Leading brands in the industry include Royal Copenhagen, Wedgwood, Meissen, Lenox, Noritake, and Bernardaud, each with its unique style and heritage. These brands have passed the test of time, becoming synonymous with luxury and elegance, and helping to forge memories around hearty meals.

Royal Copenhagen

The company's original design was influenced by two main factors: the admiration for porcelain products imported from China and the discovery of a rich deposit of cobalt in neighbouring Norway (then part of the Danish geostate). This led to the creation of porcelain products with the iconic Musselmalet (Blue Fluted) painting. Over time, Royal Copenhagen has evolved in terms of material quality, manufacturing, and design while retaining its ethos of respecting tradition and embracing innovation.

In addition to its standard product line, Royal Copenhagen also offers a range of vintage and modern Blue Fluted dinner plates. These plates can be complemented with contemporary and minimalistic bowls, mugs, salad plates, and soup plates for a palatial dining experience. The company also provides dinnerware collections for more intimate occasions, allowing customers to style their tables with matching table linens and serveware, enhancing the tactile pleasure of their dining experience.

Wedgwood

The brand's bone china dinnerware showcases a range of statement crockery pieces, from dinnerware sets to plates, bowls, and serveware. These pieces can be mixed and matched to create unique tablescapes, allowing individuals to add their personal touch to their dining experience. Wedgwood's collections are crafted with historic manufacturing techniques and centuries-old pattern inspirations, resulting in timeless objects that enrich everyday life.

One of Wedgwood's iconic collections is the Florentine, which celebrates 150 years in 2024. To commemorate this milestone, they introduced five new bold colourways and five special handmade editions, honouring both the skill of their craftspeople and the enduring design of the collection. Another notable collection is Wild Strawberry, which has been reinterpreted in luxurious blue as Wild Strawberry Inky Blue, feeding the soul with its rich pattern.

Meissen

One of Meissen's iconic patterns is the "Onion Pattern", created in 1739 and inspired by blue Chinese porcelain painting. This pattern is still hand-painted in the manufactory's own cobalt blue today. Meissen also draws on its collection of historic models and paints for its "Limited Edition" series, which includes reissues of classic pieces and new historically inspired works.

The "B-Form" collection, created between 1844 and 1855, is a masterpiece of European dining culture. It features royal blue and elaborate reliefs with a 23-karat gold coating. Meissen's "Swan Service" is another example of its intricate craftsmanship, with an abundance of elaborately worked reliefs in the Baroque style.

Limoges

The designation "Limoges porcelain" is a guarantee of quality. Since 2017, "Porcelain from Limoges" has been a protected designation of origin. To receive this label, porcelain objects must be produced and decorated entirely in the Haute-Vienne department, with certified Limoges porcelain always being 100% Made in France.

Bernardaud, one of the last manufacturers of Limoges porcelain that is still family-owned, offers a wide variety of designs and refined shapes. The Haviland porcelain manufactory is known for its spectacular, modern designs that are elaborately printed onto the fine Limoges porcelain. J.L. Coquet's dinnerware ranges are among the favourites of star chefs worldwide, with their trademark being the contrast between glazed and satin-finished bisque porcelain surfaces. Jaune de Chrome, the sister manufactory of J.L. Coquet, develops special effect glazes that give J.L. Coquet porcelain a dazzling dimension. The Raynaud manufactory creates poetic and elegant Limoges porcelain tableware with sensual shapes and fascinating colours, blending excellent craftsmanship with a cosmopolitan aesthetic.

Lenox

The Blue Bay series, with its mix-and-match textile-inspired patterns, is perfect for eclectic homes. For a minimalist aesthetic, the Tin Can Alley collection offers an understated elegance. Those who appreciate the traditional can opt for the simple yet elegant French Perle range. Lenox also has a Disney Luna Dinnerware Set for those who want to add a touch of magic to their dining experience.

Frequently asked questions