Pair of porcelain jugs with onion decoration by Meissen
Two Meissen porcelain jugs with "onion decoration." The "Zwiebelmuster" or "Blue Onion," commonly known to us as the "Onion Decoration," has become somewhat of a symbol of the Meissen Manufactory over the centuries. It is painted in cobalt blue underglaze and depicts highly stylized flowers, trees and fruits. The earliest piece made in Meissen with this decoration, inspired by a Chinese design from the Kangxi era, is dated 1739 and was painted directly by Hoeroldt. It features stylized peonies, Japanese peaches, asters, and pomegranates sinuously unfolding around a bamboo cane. Each of these elements has a definite meaning in Eastern symbolism. They represent: longevity (the bamboo), good fortune (the peony), gaiety (the aster), immortality (the peach) and fertility (the pomegranate).
ID: 2096-1709663473-85018
Time period