Collection: Meissen Blue Onion

It is the most successful blue painted pattern in the history of porcelain: in 1739, the radiant blue “Onion Pattern” was developed based on East Asian influences. True to original, the “onions” in the pattern are not in fact onions, but rather peaches and melons on the rim of the plate, and bamboo stalks and delicate chrysanthemum blossoms adorning the centre. In lieu of exotic fruits and flowers to use as templates for their creations, Meissen’s 18th-century artisans’ stylized renditions soon gave rise to their misconception as onions. To this day, Meissen’s “Onion Pattern” is applied to the porcelain by specially trained under-glaze painters. The manufactory’s own cobalt blue is the only paint used for the creation of all Meissen blue porcelain, just as it was 300 years ago. The different shades of blue are all realised with a single colour of paint.