Blue

The Blue and white porcelain articles were first manufactured in China atChina at Jingdezhen, called the porcelain capital by some.

White pottery and other porcelain articles were beautified under the glaze with a blue pigment, by and large cobalt oxide. The designs is are often made by hand, using stencils or by use of transfer painting,; however, several other modes of decorating these articles have also been used. Blue and white porcelain reached its peak of technical excellence while Emperor Kangxi was the ruler from 1662 to 1722. Early 17th century saw the export of chineseChinese porcelain to Europe. Oriental blue porcelain was highly valued in the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe and America. They were often embellished with fine silver and gold mounts. It was also an item collected by royalty. In 1707, porcelain manufacture began at Meissen in Germany. These pieces were greatly influenced by oriental designs. The Blue Onion was one of the more popular designs, which is still being manufactured in Meissen. Nascent English porcelain also drew great inspiration from Chineses wares. The manufacture of English porcelain began at Worcester appoximately four decades after blue was manufactured in Germany. Hand painted and tranfer printed articles using oriental designs, called Chinoiserie, were manufactured in large numbers in englandEngland.

The Dutch market also began the production of blue porcelain during the 17th century. The porcelain manufactured at Delft in Netherlands was itself replicated by many European countries including England, where it assumed the name of English Delftware.