Early 20th Century English Blue Onion Flow Blue Plate

Offering an 8” salad or dessert plate produced in England. English Ceramic transfer-ware of the popular blue onion pattern. A nice antique decor piece for your tablescape or wall. Please see below history of this pattern. Interesting to collect this popular pattern in a hanging plate display from each manufacturer/country.

A collector’s piece or add to your serving set.

8” round x 1” deep

Back Stamp: Crown Mark, Made in England. Meissen is the Pattern name. The English production of the popular Meissen Germany Blue Onion Pattern.

Resourced from estate of antiques in Minnesota. Masking tape reads ‘Holland Page 181 Book I’

Antique condition: No cracks, some edge discoloration, crazing consistent with age and use. The 3 round ‘chip’ of glaze on back is from the stands plates set on during production/glaze process.

Pattern History: The flower that is the main central element is an aster, chrysanthemum, or peony. The bulbs or fruit on the border resemble pomegranates and peaches. As the pattern developed, the border bulbs become more onion-like in appearance.

The Blue Onion, also known as The Bulb pattern, was inspired by the Chinese aster pattern from the late Ming dynasty.

When Johann Gregor Höroldt (1696-1775), a German porcelain painter, perfected the underglaze blue paint technique in 1739, just before the onion pattern took on its familiar design.

Different manufacturers assigned different names to the pattern. Enoch Wedgwood called his interpretation of the pattern “Blue Heritage.” Germans refer to the pattern as “Zwiebelmuster.” The Blue Onion pattern grew in popularity in the second half of the 19th century. The pattern was never copyrighted, meaning its use was open to any ceramic manufacturer who wished to utilize it.

Ceramic manufacturers in Australia, China, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Thailand, United States, and the United Kingdom have issued dinnerware and accessories in the Blue Onion pattern.

Web Resources: Worthpoint Meakin Blue Onion www.kovels.com.