Μeissen, The Blue Onion
It is one of the most famous and iconic blue patterns in the world. The blue onion pattern, which found its home on MEISSEN porcelain, has its roots not in Europe, but in China. In the 17th century, at a time when long-distance trade was flourishing, Chinese porcelain, which was considered a real treasure at the time, reached European traders for the first time. These valuable pieces, often decorated with blue designs on white porcelain, aroused enthusiasm in Europe, which stimulated trade and ultimately led to the desire to produce their own porcelain.
European porcelain was born in 1710 with the founding of the MEISSEN Porcelain Manufactory by Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony. The manufactory was the first in Europe to unlock the secret of porcelain production. Just a few years after it was founded, the blue onion pattern was developed in Meissen (around 1739). In contrast to its Far Eastern models, however, the MEISSEN blue onion was not an exact copy. Rather, it was a stylized, Europeanized version of the Chinese decorations. The name “blue onion” is misleading, as the original motifs did not depict onions, but peaches, melons and bamboo plants, which looked like onions to European eyes. The patterns were classically executed in cobalt blue underglaze painting, which is still considered a characteristic feature of this decoration today.
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