Blue Willow China

[rafesgirl]

Spode Blue Willow

I have been collecting Blue Willow for about 30 years now and it is quite impossible to contain my excuberance when finding a new piece. Price sometimes is the only deterrent and even that fails occasionally. It is the only china pattern that I know of which is based on a romantic legend. Essential Blue Willow components are a Chinese temple, bridge, island, and two birds in flight. There are several versions of the legend but each has the essential core parts. This one is in poem form, author unknown, but one of my favourites.

Legend of the Blue Willow

My Blue Willow ware plate has a story
Pictorial, painted in blue
From the land of tea and the tea plant
And the little brown man with a queue.

Whatever the food to be served
Romance does enter the feast
If you only pay heed to the legend
On the old china plate from the East.

Koong-Shee was a mandarin's daughter
And Chang was her sweetheart ah me
For surely her father's accountant
Might never wed pretty Koong-Shee.

So Chang was expelled from the compound
The beautiful alliance to break
And pretty Koong-Shee was imprisoned
In a little blue house by the lake.

The Dour old mandarin reasoned
It was time that his daughter should wed
And the groom of his choosing shall banish
That silly romance in her head.

While friends of Koong-Shee imagined
In symbols the dress she should wear
Her husband to be sat thinking
She should ride in a gold wedding chair.

He was busily plotting and planning
When a message was brought him one day
Young Chang had invaded the palace
And taken his promised away.

They were over the bridge when he saw them
They were passing the big willow tree
And a boat at the edge of the water
Stood waiting for Chang and Koong-Shee.

The furious mandarin followed
The groom with revenge in his eyes
But the little boat danced on the water
And travelled away with the prize.

But vengeance pursued to their shelter
And burned the pagoda, they say--
From out of the flames rose the lovers
A pair of doves winging away.

They fled toward the Western heaven
The pretty Koong-Shee and her Chang
Or so says the famous old legend
From the land of the Yangtze Kiang.

I couldn't be one to deny it
For the little blue dove and her mate
Forever are flying together
Across my Blue Willow ware plate.

Thomas Minton developed and engraved the design, after the legend, in Staffordshire,UK in 1780. For over 200 years the Willow Pattern has been produced by nearly every British Pottery Manufacturer, including Royal Worcester, Spode, Adams, Wedgewood, Davenport, Booth, Royal Doulton, and countless others. Changes in the pattern have been slight over the years, and usually the border treatment is altered. No other type of china is more attractive than a really good piece of willow. But, nothing can be uglier than a cheap imitation with blips and blobs, rather than trees and bridges. This pattern has been reproduced badly, more than any other design in history.


Padden Citys Old Blue Willow


Southern Potteries Dark Red Willow


Worcester Willow Pattern 1912


Booths Real Old Willow

[rafesgirl]

"Fenton" Bump

[quilterlinda13]

I am not sure how to open the picture boxes left by "rafesgirl". They show on my screen as a box inside a box--with a "red X". When I click on the box with my mouse, nothing happens--no picture, no acknowledgement of anything. Can anyone help this fairly "newcomer" to e-bay, and first time poster to a Board of any type. Thanks!

[rafesgirl]

[rafesgirl]

[rafesgirl]

[thetickletrunk]

I love your two tier Gail, and to think I thought I had enough pieces of it 😛 I had the Blue Willow clock, bought at Sears (I think in last years Wishbook), and it fell and smashed as it was not hung properly.

I not only like the Blue Willow, but any Toile pottery. Got any more pics you'd like to share of your pieces?

[rafesgirl]

I have "lost" two of my plates over the years, one was attacked by an angry feather duster and the other was clobbered by a flying phone. Two of my daughters were fighting over the phone and you can imagine what happened next...I reglued the several hundred pieces back together, as best I could, and rehung it on the wall as a gentle reminder that phones are not to be airborn.

[rafesgirl]

[thetickletrunk]

LOL Good reminder 😛

I have that platter but I doubt mine is stamped the same. Its either from Sears or our local grocery store when they had their promotion.

[rafesgirl]

10 days till Christmas bump!

[pukmis]

Gettin' too close to the chopper!!! Bump

[rafesgirl]

Thanks Annie, been vacationing....

B-)

More information on china can be found on this board:

http://forums.ebay.com/db2/forum.jspa?forumID=75

[rafesgirl]

An example of flow blue willow circa 1890.

What is flow blue?
Cobalt oxide dye sinks into porous earthenware and blurs during the glazing. Around 1820, it was discovered that the flow of the blue dye could be enhanced by using lime or ammonia chloride in the glazing process. The degree of blur varied greatly among manufacturers, and the flowing effect conveniently hid most manufacturing flaws.

[pukmis]

bumpin' cos...

[pukmis]

Hey there Gail
If you happen to be around...I have posted over on the
PGP board but I shall try you too!!! Since this is your field!!!
I found this Blue Willow today...H A & Co. , I have found that
this is Herbert Aynsley , but I can't date this backstamp...
the only one I could find is the Staffordshire Knot with the letters
in it...

Thanks if you could help with a date???
Annie

[pukmis]

Then again...in searching I have found H. Adams from Longton
also stamped his work with H A & Co. with the L under it...

[rafesgirl]

Annie:
HA & CO was used by H Adams & Co. Circa 1870 to 1885 for sure and I will keep looking.

Nice plate too.........

[rafesgirl]

More info on HA & Co:
The potter was probably George Harris Hammersley, who worked in partnership with Harvey Adams ( Harvey Adams and Co.) up to Aug 4, 1885, after which Hammersley continued with Sarah Hammersley who was replaced by Gilbert Hammersley as from April 9, 1888.
The firm title was changed from Harvey Adams & Co. to Hammersley & Co. in about 1887, but the old pattern books and pattern number sequences were continued by Hammersley

[rafesgirl]

re: post 42



H. Aynsley & Co, H A & Co L initials inside staffordshire knot are usually 1870 to 1880

[pukmis]

Thanks muchly for the info...I had read the history in
'thepotteries' but after awhile the potters all start to
sound too incestuous...and then confusion starts!!!
So late 1880's and H. Adams...
Ya gonna go to On the Road in London when it comes this year???