China's ceramics capital seeks to build global brands

Head of Sales Gina McNicholas said that Moorcroft's heritage as a supplier to the Queen and royal families helps its sales in China.

"We've found our traditional English products have sold better than anything in China. It's very regal and royal. I think people buy into that idea," said McNicholas.

Moorcroft has hired a Hong Kong agent to deal in exports to China. The brand has a history of working with overseas markets to establish new designs, so designers can influence one another and come up with new ideas about how things will sell in each market.

McNicholas told Xinhua that the company will also look to cooperate with ceramics makers in Jingdezhen. "It's about working together to share ideas and best practices and boost the UK and Chinese brands as well," she said.

Modern challenge

However, master porcelain artist Duan Zhenmin said restoring the city's past glory in the ceramics market faces a major challenge because it lacks famous international brands.

"You can't find a Chinese name on the list of the world's top luxury ceramic brands. Jingdezhen is only a place of origin shared by local pottery makers," said Duan, who founded the Jiuduanshao Ceramics Factory.

By contrast, a number of heavyweight manufacturers have emerged over the past two centuries as suppliers for European royals, aristocrats and luxury consumers, including Royal Copenhagen, France's GIEN, Hungary's Herend, the UK's Royal Doulton and Wedgewood and Germany's Meissen.

"The absence of an international brand in Jingdezhen also brings an opportunity, and we are aiming to renew the heritage of royal quality," said Huang Bin of the Imperial Kiln.

To protect its production techniques and better guarantee quality, the Imperial Kiln Company has given a special ID to each of its products. Local government is also building a database in an attempt to track luxury porcelain for exports.

Bian Xiaodong, a pottery maker in Jingdezhen, is confident about the city's ability to gain a foothold in the world's high-end ceramics market if local industry can act quickly to build brands.

"Most domestic masters have dedicated themselves to the design of single works, failing to promote their products under a brand name. But we still have the best production techniques," he said.

He said one example is the tableware designed by master Huang Chunmao with the China Central Academy of Fine Arts for an evening banquet at the 2014 APEC summit in Beijing, which was attended by national leaders and high-ranking guests from 20 countries.