If you don’t know what “blue onion” is, well, let me introduce you!
Blue onion is a blue & white transferware design found on dishes and serving pieces. The Rice jar in the back left is the classic blue onion design and the rest are variations, but can be referred to generically as “blue onion”, although the pattern is a little different.
Anyway, I found an amazing collection of it when I went out antiquing last week. I went to an antique mall I’ve never been to and, while they can be hit and miss, I love that I’m scouring a place for the first time. You just never know what you’re going to find that’s been overlooked by other people. I strolled into a booth that was packed with shelves and a lot of vintage clothing and accessories. But on one of those acrylic shelves, I caught a glimpse of blue and white. I shimmied between the shelves and was excited about the number of pieces gathered together, but usually that means the price is high. Well, I turned one over, looked at the tag, and immediately started collecting little spice jars into my arms. My mom was with me and I started loading her arms as well.
I don’t know about you, but as soon as I find something awesome that is well underpriced, I’m certain other shoppers are ready to swoop in and it will turn into some ridiculous Black Friday sort of scene with hair-pulling, elbowing, and a race to the checkout. I have no idea why that irrational paranoia sets it, but it always does!
We didn’t have enough arms to gather it all, so I did a speed walk to the counter, mindful of my fragile cargo, and let them know I was coming up with more.
I cleaned the booth out of blue onion.
The little pots just kill me. They are only about 3″ tall and are so sweet with their labels of “muskat”, “peber”, and “vanille”…
And, the design on the Sukker jar is so beautiful.
Blue onion heaven. Right there.
I also got two square bowls in the same pattern and a Smór box. It’s apparently an old Swedish term for butter.
Hard to resist turning that into a pun. Can I have s’more butter? Hardy-har.
And, this isn’t even the full collection, if you can believe it. I found jars with screw-top metal lids and a few other unique pieces.
I know what you’re all wondering, but don’t even ask! I have to love on these at least a little while before I even consider putting a price tag on them!
51 Responses
How cute are these! Thanks for the introduction; I will be looking for some blue onion the next time I’m out treasure hunting.
I would have done that speed walk also! It’s crazy when you find a treasure you are sure others will immediately want. The hardest part is remaining nonchalant about the whole thing when you want to jump up and down on the inside.
Love these! So sweet! I’ll be sharing my favorite milk glass pieces from my collection on the blog on Friday.
Nancy
I love milk glass, I will have to check out your collection. Now I have to watch for blue onion also!! I will have to visit your blog, I have never been on it! Thanks Nancy!
Sigh…..I would be loving on them for a while also….and now I am on the lookout!
Wonderful find! The square dishes that you show with the napkins from what I can see appear to be not blue onion but Royal copenhagen’s Blue Fluted lace pattern. My very favorite pattern.
Yes, or the less expensive version Myott Finlandia. Lovely!
You did hit the jackpot! My heart skips a beat or three when I make a great find too and I am just like you I grab it and hold on tight straight to the register. When I was into shabby chic some years back, I found a great enamel pink and white German canister set in Oxford, PA when we passed through on our way back to VA.
Wow! I’ve never seen anything like this. Beautiful! Lucky you!!
P.S. I feel the same way about old books. I found one at a used bookstore one day and actually ran over and quickly grabbed it like there were hoards running after me! Haha
I had never seen this and now I love it! Have you seen the Spring Pottery Barn catalog? It has our names (both blue and white lovers) names all over it!! http://www.potterybarn.com/pages/e-catalog/pottery-barn-catalog-spring-d1-17.html
Love,love,love! I have a similar collection that I treasure and enjoy using!
What an amazing find! They’re beautiful!
So funny you would pay that. I just pulled three of these out of my China cabinet!
Ah, autocorrect and I have a love/hate relationship! Should say “post,” not “pay.”
I know that feeling- my hearts starts beating faster and my eyes focus sharply and I’m sure my blood pressure goes up! I found a treasure last week in the TJ Max clearance aisle- those steak knives you showed us! 2 sets in the color you bought, clearances to $12-score!!
Beautiful!
My grandmother passed away and left me her Blue Onion teapot and sugar and creamer set. I have never been able to find any pieces until a few years ago when I found a gravy boat. Since then, I have managed to purchase a 12 piece place setting and this is what my family eats on when we all get together!!!!
However, I have never seen the spice jars. I would totally be interested if you decide to sell any of the pieces.
I’m continually amazed at what you are able to find on your outings. Persistence must be the key as well as location. Your finds are gorgeous and envy worthy.
I have experienced the same type of moment. What glee!! How fun for you. 🙂
One of the original blue onion designs (as I’m sure you know) is Meissen from the 1700s. Which was itself a take on Chinese porcelain. In the 1960s/70s there was a very good adaptation of the design made in Japan by Lipper. I loved those dishes but could not afford them. Several months ago I found four dinner plates and a couple of saucers in the Lipper Blue Danube pattern. I use them all the time; the saucers are now berry dishes for Greek yoghurt and fruit. Love, love, love your cannisters/jars.
I’m sure they are loving you right back! Great fun find
Oh, no! You’ve announced to the world one of the things I’ve been seeking. Now everyone else knows how beautiful these are and I’ll never find them. 😉 Seriously though, what a great find!
Love those jars. Beautiful. You are really getting me hooked on blue & white pieces, linens, etc. I have been a pink rose kind of girl, but I think I may start changing my ways. Just yesterday I found some vintage blue toile fabric at my local thrift store and immediately thought of you. I carried it around for awhile, then decided to put it back. It just wasnt going to work well with pink.
I also become that crazed lady that hovers over a find till I can be sure it is going to be mine ALL MINE! 😀 It’s really hard when you are alone and don’t have enough hands to carry it all at once!
You always find the best stuff! Cute set!
You’re so funny!! Love them but have never heard of them before. Looks like you had a great haul!
The jars are awesome! (although not quite Blue Onion – might be an adaptation of the originals. After copyright was removed from the pattern, a myriad of companies worldwide jumped on the ever-popular Blue Onion band wagon and produced their own versions. Germany’s original Meissen Blue Onion with the crossed-swords stamp is still the most coveted version of Blue Onion china) (and it looked like you had a few pieces of Churchill’s Finlandia pattern in there too)
But who cares – it was a score! I would have been thrilled to have landed those pieces, too.
I collect Meissen Blue onion in the crossed swords and oval back stamps and they are quite expensive!
They are wonderful!! I love the s’mor box!
I had a Smor dish I got in Sweden about 40 yrs. ago—unfortunately it got broken. What a treasure.
So beautiful!
I’m doing a happy dance for/with you! Congrats.. I know the feeling!
Seriously Marion, I NEED to go antiquing with you…Or at least know where you are shopping. You find the best treasures!
These are precious! I’d of scooped em up and ran too,lol. Like the Ikea sale commercial, lady runs out yelling. Start the car ,start the car ! I have always felt the same way, that someone would notice I’m interested and change the prices or take them from me !
Those jars are so pretty in the blue and white and would just look lovely in my kitchen, Marian! You enjoy them!
Beautiful! What a find! I’ve never heard of it before so thanks for the introduction!
I work a few days a month at an antique mall….when customers come up to the desk so elated it makes working so much fun….Hate to say it but sometimes I am that person. Some really neat things are “hidden” by customers that can’t make up their minds so they “put them away”….so dig, dig, dig! Kathleen
I had to look up Allerhande to see what it meant, DUTCH
assorted, miscellaneous, mixed, motley, sundry, a variety of, all kinds of, all sorts of, mingled, all manner of
Very cool I look these, especially since my grandmother was born in Sweden.
I can’t even imagine selling these beauties! I think you must hold onto them! So gorgeous and so you!
Wow, How beautiful!! You truly found a treasure. Isn’t it amazing how exciting it is when you make that “find”. Loved the way you described your excitement in finding these jars. I think I would have been just as excited.
They are wonderful! Lucky you!
Rowell I think I would be keeping a fair few of them and off loading something else!!
You hit the jackpot!! I have numerous pieces but not like yours, great finds!!!
What a find!
What a find! I still regret not buying a smaller set decades ago from a Memphis shop. Some things are just timeless. What antique mall where you at?
SCORE! The hunt is always the best part!!! Lovely.
Well, again, Swedish they are not. (last time was the chairs 😉 )
But this is not Swedish, but Danish. Close tho! They are our neighbours!
Smör, peppar, socker, muskot, vanilj etc would be the Swedish version of those words.
Yep, I knew the other words were danish, but when I looked up “Smor” it came up as Swedish. I just knew that they weren’t German! 🙂
Well this is getting interesting..and confusing!
Since I wasn’t 100% sure I was right, (maybe I just assumed it was danish cause all the others were?) I decided to research it.
I started with old swedish and could only find several versions of “smiör”. Sounds about right, since old swedish was more complicated and had more letters in every word. Beginning of 1900 we started making the spelling simpler by removing letters. Like we spelled “what” as “hvad” and then removed the h, ending up with “vad”.
So then I decided to just research smór, and what do I find in both google translate and on a language identyfier site? Irish!! Irish gaelic… Can this be right?
Is there any stamps at the bottom of this one and the others that we could compare?
Great finds! I have been collecting blue and white dishes for a while. Some Blue Onions others just because I like them. Enjoy!!!!!
I have my great grandmother’s set. I never knew the name of the pattern. I have cherished them since I was 9 and my grandmother gave them to me for helping her clean her kitchen. The memory of that day as my mother took them off her mother’s shelf is so vivid. All my cousins had desired them and she picked me! Maybe she had the instinct that I would cherish them always!
I have a few blue onion pieces as well and would be just as tickled as you were to find those jars at a great price!! good find.
I’m gonna git you sukker!
I have some blue onion pieces, but there is no trademark on the back. The box says blue onion stoneware. I found this at a yard sale. Thoughts?