Tao-Yue was the legendary inventor of porcelain.

He used so-called 'white clay' (kaolin) which he found along the Yangzte river where he was born. He added other types of clay to produce the first white porcelain, which he sold as 'artificial jade' in the capital Chang-an.

By around 900 AD, porcelain was perfected, incorporating the translucent minerals quartz and feldspar.

Porcelain was much finer than other clay ceramics, so thin as to be translucent. Its white color could be painted in many colors. Porcelain was one of the most highly prized products from China, and in fact came to be called "china."