blue onion

It was in Meissen, Saxony (Germany) that perhaps the most famous of all antique China dinnerware, Meissen porcelain, was produced by Europeans, the unmistakable blue-and-white \"onion\" pattern. more...

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History

While modeled as closely as possible after a pattern first produced by the Chinese (for European consumption) the plates and bowls styled in the Meissen factory in 1740 adopted a feel that was distinctly their own. This was largely due to the fact that the flowers and fruits pictured on the original Chinese pattern were unknown to the Meissen painters, and thus they created hybrids that more closely resembled ones more familiar to Europeans. The so-called \"onions\" are not onions at all, but according to historians, are most likely mutations of the peaches and pomegranates modeled on the original Chinese pattern. The whole design is an ingeniously conceived grouping of several floral motifs, with Japanese peaches and the pomegranates, and in the center of the product are found stylized peonies and asters --the stems of which wind in flowing curves around a bamboo stalk.

While the design most likely originated from an east Asian model, probably Chinese, it also demonstrates that the manner of strictly abstract stylization has a European influence. It is undoubtedly connected with the rhythm and rules of rococo ornamentation: for instance, the asymmetrical motif is composed according to type in various areas, and yet at first glance gives the impression of symmetry.

Design endurance through the centuries

Just what has caused the permanency of the design-- admired by generations and undaunted by the numerous revolutions and wars through which European china passed? The design is distinctly different, primarily by its quaint simplicity and restraint in shape and ornament. In its expression it is unusually intimate, it evokes family good cheer, and it abounds in those qualities which also have their appeal in our present times.

Collectible

The \"Blue Onion\" pattern has become one of the most replicated in the world, with versions, even in different colors (green, red, black) produced by hundreds of factories throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States. Vintage or new, china or porcelein or ironstone or Corelle or Pyrex ware -- this pattern maintains popularity, and with that the product line expands.

Read more at Wikipedia.org