The founders of porcelain workshop Middle Kingdom met for the first time when Alison Alten went to China as an exchange student and met her future husband, Bo Jia. Porcelain had always been an academic interest of Alison’s, and a professional interest of Bo’s, and together they decided to set up a company to celebrate this shared passion. Middle Kingdom focuses on making according to the principles of traditional Chinese porcelain. The pair built a kiln in Jingdezhen in 2004.

Today, the workshop has grown, though the artisans continue to work with traditional materials, connected to the town in China where porcelain was first made. Depending on the time of year, six to ten artisans work at the kiln to make the colourful porcelain of Middle Kingdom. From their base in Virginia, Alison and Bo collaborate with designers from around the world.