When western explorers first made contact with the Chinese, they returned with word of many fascinating art forms, products, and innovations. One of these art forms was Chinese porcelain, which subsequently became known as what else - china. The making of china is an art that goes back centuries in China, and it is one that evolved with the various dynasties that make up Chinese history. Over the years, the type of glazing and enamel applied to China changed as new designs and colors became fashionable.
It also became common for designs originating in China to become widely popular in Europe. In fact, many Chinese porcelain innovations were trend setters for the European markets. One of these innovations was the color "family" known as Famille Verte. But European influences can also be found to have influenced Chinese designs; this is the case with the color family and designs associated with Famille Rose.
Famille Rose is a huge umbrella term categorizing a piece of porcelain by its color and not by its pattern style or period of production. Most Chinese porcelain made for export -- if it wasn't the popular blue-and-white developed in the Ming Dynasty -- was Famille Rose. Other famille color groups existed at the same time -- famille verte, famille noire, and famille jaune.
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