Blue on white, has a beautiful purity. It's Delft pottery, it's shibori, it's Willow porcelain, it's clouds in the sky and waves on the ocean.

Cobalt was first used in glazes by potters in Iraq and China. Early examples of these wares were found from a ship wrecked in the ninth century. Initially, these were considered garish compared to the pure whiteporcelain plates being produced. Soon though there was a flourishing trade in these goods and so we have had this aesthetic planted into our visual literacy.