Bulk Porcelain & Fine China from China

MOQ is set by the painting line, not the factory floor: a single in-house painter can typically decorate only a small number of pieces per shift, and patterns must be batched so the kiln can be loaded efficiently. Cobalt oxide prices, glaze batches, and the kiln's volumetric capacity per firing all push minimums upward. If you want a fully hand-painted run, expect higher MOQs than for decal-applied ware on the same shape.

Hold pieces under raking light to look for crazing (fine glaze cracks), pinholes in the glaze surface, and any warping at the rim or foot. Check the cobalt painting for bleeding under the glaze, uneven line weight, or muddy grey tones instead of a clear blue — a sign of under-firing or low-grade cobalt. Also run a finger along the foot rim: a rough, unglazed foot that snags is normal, but chips or exposed dark body indicate poor finishing.

Genuine Jingdezhen-style porcelain uses a high-purity kaolin body fired above 1,300°C, giving a translucent white when held to a light. The blue should be a cobalt oxide (sometimes called 'sumali' cobalt) painted on the bisque and sealed under a clear glaze, not a low-fire ceramic with surface paint. Ask for the body composition and the cone/firing temperature so you can compare across suppliers.

Custom work usually splits into two paths: a hand-painted pattern on an existing open mold, or a decal printed from your artwork and applied to standard shapes. Either way, expect a sampling fee, pattern-set-up charges, and a pre-production sample sign-off because brushwork and decal registration can't be tweaked mid-run. A completely new vase or teapot shape will add a mold fee and a separate development cycle of several weeks.

Jingdezhen porcelain is registered as a China Geographical Indication, so ask the supplier if their product is made within the protected region and can be documented as such. For any item that contacts food — dinnerware, teacups, teapots — request food-contact migration testing against the destination market's standard, such as GB 4806.7 in China, FDA 21 CFR in the US, or LFGB in the EU, and don't accept generic 'food safe' claims without a test report.

Insist on double-wall corrugated cartons, individual foam or molded-pulp corner protectors, and face-to-face wrapping with tissue between stacked plates. Vases should be suspended in fitted foam, not nested loose, and every carton should be marked 'fragile' and 'this side up' on at least two sides. Confirm whether the price includes palletization, ISPM-15 heat-treated pallets, and a container loading plan — because stacking density and vibration during sea transit are the real drivers of breakage, not just the inner box.

The single China Porcelain & Fine China record on file does not carry one, which is why the lead-time column reads Unconfirmed. Ask each candidate for a dated ex-works schedule and the transit time to your port as separate figures.

Ex-works, FOB, and CIF prices for one Porcelain & Fine China order are three different numbers, so name the term and the destination port in the request or the quotes will not compare. Settle who books freight, who clears customs at each end, and the packing specification — handicraft cartons are usually volume-rated.