Details and origin stories
Blue & White Transferware Patterns
It's no surprise to us that the blue and white dinnerware aesthetic has captivated collectors and everyday decor enthusiasts for generations. We're still in awe of the multitude of designs and shades of blue and white that complement one another so effortlessly, despite their very different origins.
While not an extensive display of all blue and white patterns, this gallery will give you a good idea of the kinds of patterns we carry in our blue and white collection, including our eclectic plate sets and tiered trays.
How we got here
Pattern categories
The abundance of distinct yet similar-looking blue and white china patterns led to the need for developing organization rules to manage our every-changing vintage inventory.
After obsessively sifting through our expansive collection of blue and white transferware, we came up with five distinct pattern categories that best describe the dominant themes in blue and white transferware. They include:
Florals & botanicals
Landscapes, landmarks & colonial scenes
Nordic-inspired
Chinoiserie
Onion
Note: there are a handful of instances in which patterns fall into more than one category.
About the pattern category:
Florals & botanicals
There is a large variety of blue and white dinnerware that contain flowers, leaves and other plant life. Flowers are very popular around the border of plates and can be arranged in a formal, symmetrical manner or random and haphazardly.
Depictions of the flowers can range dramatically, from realistic and detailed to more stylized and abstract.
Specific flowers we frequently come across include roses, peonies, lilies, and chrysanthemums.
About the pattern category:
Landscapes, landmarks & historical scenes
These patterns depict important historical events, landmarks, and figures from bygone eras. They also depict rustic, pastoral scenes of everyday life where farm life and travels by horseback are common.
About the pattern category:
Nordic-inspired
Nordic-inspired patterns feature simple, streamlined and symmetrical designs. They tend to have understated floral motifs that are reminiscent of Nordic and Scandinavian design.
Patterns in this category have a classic, clean, and orderly appearance and tend to be more minimalist than other transferware patterns.
About the pattern category:
Chinoiserie
Chinoiserie patterns, inspired by Chinese art and culture, are known for their intricate and ornate details. These designs often depict lush natural scenes with mountains, forests, fields, and bodies of water.
Popular motifs in chinoiserie design, such as in the most iconic Blue Willow china pattern, include pagodas, dragons, and other mythical creatures; Bamboo and cherry blossoms, cranes and phoenixes, and figures dressed in traditional attire are also common.
About the pattern category:
Onion
Patterns that fall under the onion category have an onion or bulb-looking motif in the pattern, typically around the border, along with other leaves and foliage.
Onion china patterns are also characterized by saturated, cobalt colored designs against white backgrounds.
