Why is fine china called china if it is made in England or another country?

Answer 1

Fine china is made of a white clay made to imitate porcelain. Porcelain is one of the many types of clay used in China. Porcelain is considered valuable because of its white color and translucence.

Porcelain is made of three materials: quartz, feldspar & kaolin (refined white clay) fired at a very high temperature. This was first made in China, creating the category "chinaware" In the 1700's the Europeans tried to copy the formula by trial and error. Meissen succeeded. The raw materials were found in Germany and France (Limoges region) and these countries produced porcelain. In Britain, they substituted bone ash for the quartz and feldspar creating bone china. Fine china is a created category, usually referring to bone china and porcelain as opposed to stoneware, ironstone and earthenware which is fired at a lower temperature and prone to chipping and crazing.

Answer 2

The Chinese made vases and similar products from fine clay which they exported around the world. The English discovered the same type of clay in Britain. They called the clay "China clay" and the products made from it "fine China"