中國瓷器以其潔白的呈色、半透明的潤澤度及清脆的敲擊聲，早早便風靡了熟悉於厚重陶器及錫釉陶器的歐洲人。瓷器這種陌生，但顯然是來自一個高度工藝發展文明的產物之傳入，也影響了歐洲對中國塑造出的異文化認知與理解。本文探討十六世紀中國瓷器引入歐洲的初始階段。首先關於此一時期歐洲對瓷器一詞的命名由來與認知，其次透過實物及文獻資料的整理探討這段時期歐洲所接觸的中國瓷器的種類，最後以義大利佛羅倫斯科西摩．麥迪奇以及奧地利安布拉堡費迪南二世的中國瓷器收藏為例，探討當時歐洲對中國瓷器的收藏方式及中國瓷器在當時的收藏文化中所具有的意義。

With its whiteness, translucency and resonance, Chinese porcelain has enchanted the Europeans since the very early period. As produced in an unfamiliar but evidently highly-developed civilization, porcelain also shaped the Europeans' knowledge of and understanding for China. This article means to focus on the 16th century when the Europeans have just begun to import Chinese porcelain in great quantity. After a brief introduction, the article continues with an investigation on the origin and the interpretation of the term “porcelain”. Followed is a discussion on the categories of Chinese porcelain collected by the European courts. Finally, based upon the analysis of the collections of Cosimo de'Medici and of Archduke Ferdinand II, the article will end with an exploration of the methods of collecting and classifying Chinese porcelain, as well as its cultural meaning within the context of “culture of curiosities”.