The enduring love of blue and white through the ages

Our fascination dates right back to the 17th century when Chinese porcelain and its pretenders became widely available.

Twelve-piece English Spode dinner sets in Italian collection, €232, next.ie.

BLUE and white? It’s sky and freshly spun clouds, it’s water and wave, and above all things, it’s the iconic indigo seen in all sorts of ceramics from delft to fine porcelain. Food looks beautiful plated on blue and white set onto a butter-soft white linen tablecloth. It’s a natural companion to oiled or painted wood, and here in Ireland, it’s a familiar vernacular of three centuries that would have been proudly staged in Irish cottages and farmhouse kitchens as part of a dresser display.

Crossing ploughed fields or walking the beach, you will likely pocket a sherd or two of domestic blue and white pottery, its edges buffed to silk by seawater. If you’re interested in collecting or just want to add some blue and white to your summer table, here’s a little history.