Such was indeed the case when Chinese porcelain arrived in Europe in the 14th Century. They were "regarded as objects of great rarity and luxury". (source: http://www.metmuseum.org/)
Porcelain china were probably coveted back then in the same way that our eyes pop out, our jaws drop, and we go into hyperventilation when a friend walks by with the latest iPhone or iPad today.
When I told Vi about the significance of porcelain china in ancient times she replied, "Yea but they're made in China."
I'm sure she wasn't being politically incorrect. It's just that nowadays everything is made in China they're hardly special anymore.
(The plate shown here isn't actually china. It's still made of clay that is glazed and decorated. Still, it was a luxury during the 13th Century, just shy of a century before Chinese porcelain arrived.)
Vi took this photo.
