This 19th century platter was made by the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory of Germany. The face of the piece has been decorated in the perennially popular 'Blue Onion' pattern, first developed by Meissen in 1739. The iconic design is based on imagery found on Chinese porcelain dating to the Ming Dynasty and features stylized cobalt blue decoration on a white field. This unusually large first quality Meissen platter has scalloped edges and is finished in the Blue Onion pattern. The decoration is crisp and has excellent coloration. The face of the piece bears Meissen's underglaze cobalt blue "crossed swords" mark with pommels used between 1850 - 1924 which is located at the base of the bamboo cane at the center, best seen in photos 1, 2 and 3. Per the estate, this piece dates to the last quarter of the 19th century. The platter is quite deep and has canted edges which help to contain sauces and juices when serving meats, or could be also used for large quantities of pasta. The top edge of the rim stands 2.25" high from the tabletop and the entire piece measures 19" by 13.875". The back of the platter bears Meissen's cobalt underglaze crossed sword mark with pommels as well as the numeral "2". The piece is also marked with the impressed numbers "2" and "129". The platter is in excellent antique condition and has no chips, cracks or repairs. That said, it should be noted that there are some tiny glaze pops and black flecks of material located on the rim of the platter related to the production process which do not affect the appearance of the piece and are mentioned for accuracy. The face of the platter is largely free of utensil marks and the piece shows little evidence of use. It is quite heavy for its size and weighs in at 4lbs 13oz. This highly collectible platter displays beautifully and would be a great addition to a grouping of Meissen Blue Onion. The piece is nicely sized for serving a large crowd, or could be hung on a wall and used as a decorative accent. A lovely and useful antique find.