大航海时代之前,中国与欧洲的贸易及交流主要经中东地区中转。大航海时代开辟了中国与欧洲直接交往的通道。中国丰富的物产、工艺精湛的日用品及艺术品,如茶叶、
丝绸、瓷器、漆器等,迅速得到更广阔市场的喜爱与追逐,跃升为热销全球的国际商品。欧洲商船竞相来华贸易,开启东西方在瓷器生产与消费之间的直接互动,瓷器贸易的全球化时代到来。
Before the Age of Exploration, trade and exchange between China and Europe were largely mediated through the Middle East. With the opening of new maritime routes during this era, direct channels of contact between China and Europe were established. China's abundant natural products and exquisitely crafted daily goods and
artworks-such as tea, silk, porcelain, and lacquerwarequicklywon favor in broader markets,becoming highly sought-after global commodities. European merchant ships flocked to China for trade, initiating direct interaction between East and West in the production and consumption of porcelain, and ushering in a new age of globalization in porcelain trade.