Porcelain Painting with Monica El Fehaid
About the mysterious history of 'white gold':
The first traces of this highly valued art form date back to the Shang dynasty in China (ca.1600-1046 BC), when high glazed ceramic was first developed into porcelain.
During the Tang dynasty, masterpieces were imported to the Islamic world, revered as a luxury and highly prized.
Over time, it began to spread over East Asia, and the first artifacts arrived in Europe around 1400 BC.
Many attempts in Europe to reproduce this precious substance failed, and it was not until 1704 that the mystery surrounding the manufacturing of porcelain was uncovered by the alchemist Johann Friedrich Boettger at Meissen, Saxony.
Ever since, Meissen in Germany has been the world’s center of manufacturing for the finest hand painted porcelain.
The secret to the successful creation of this valuable material was a combination of three different rock minerals: kaolin, feldspar and quartz, to create a tough yet very fine and translucent object of art and beauty.