The porcelains originated in China, dating from probably the second century AD.

The exported Chinese porcelains of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were so precious in Europe that in English China became a commonly used synonym for the Franco-Italian term porcelain (from the old Italian porcella (little pig), the name of a seashell).
Only in 1708, did the Europeans discover the secret of the porcelain processing.

Now Chinese archaeologists have discovered an ancient sunken ship in the South China Sea laden with Ming Dynasty porcelain. Divers employed the satellite navigation technique to detect the vessel, named South China Sea II, which is about 17 to 18 m (56-60 ft) long and lying at a depth of 20 m (66 ft).

"A preliminary study of the sunken ship shows it may have sunk 400 years ago after striking a reef," said archaeologist Dr Wei Jun.

The local police discovered the illegal salvage operations going on off Guangdong province coast: "On May 25, police learnt that some fishermen had been recovering ancient porcelain objects from the sea," said Xinhua agency.

21 pieces of porcelain were found on a fishing boat whose owner said that divers he had hired for deep-sea fishing came across the porcelain by accident.

On May 26, another 117 pieces of porcelain were found on two fishing boats engaged in illegal salvage work: "Police stepped up monitoring of the area and warned local people not to loot the cultural relics. On June 1, two local residents handed over 124 porcelain items to police."

A few days before, Chinese scientists had started salvage operations at another wreck site linked to the Song dynasty (960-1279 AD).

South China Sea I, found in 1987, is the first ancient vessel found in the area along the "Marine Silk Road" linking imperial China with the West.

"The discovery of South China Sea II will provide more evidence about the Marine Silk Road, and help with the study of Chinese seafaring, shipbuilding and ceramics making," said Wei.

"Foreign smugglers were using advanced technology to steal China's seabed treasures, mostly porcelain from ancient shipwrecks. Many relics were being shipped to the United States and other antique markets." wrote China Daily in April.

In 2005, approximately 15,000 pieces, mainly blue-and-white porcelain about 300 years old, were discovered in a shipwreck off Fujian province.