The Willow Pattern

Anne here. Occasionally I post photos of food on FaceBook or my blog, and often it’s displayed on this little plate — an old willow pattern plate. It has a tiny chip but I don't care — it's one of my favorite plates. I bought it years ago from a charity shop when I was a student. I love old crockery and all my dishes back then were mismatched, but each was beautiful in its own right. But the willow pattern plates were always my favorites.

I have memories of my grandmother serving up a roast dinner with vegetables on a big old willow-pattern platter, and I think she also had a willow pattern soup tureen and also some cups and saucers. I don't have any of those, only my op-shop (charity shop) plates and this lovely jug and sugar bowl set that I was given for a birthday present one year.

But I've learned that I'm not the only one who has a deep fondness for the willow pattern design. Last time I posted a photo of my chipped plate on FB I said I knew it was chipped but I wasn't going to throw it out — and I got quite a reaction — most agreeing that I shouldn't throw away such a lovely plate.

Willow pattern plates have a long history. Before Marco Polo returned from China, fine porcelain was unknown in Europe. In the middle ages dinner was likely to be served on a trencher of bread or in a wooden bowl.  The juices soaked into the bread, which was either eaten or given to the poor.  Later the trenchers were mostly wood. The modern cheese board is probably a relation of the medieval trencher.

Pottery dishes were heavy and relatively thick — think of the hand-made pottery dishes people make today. They were easily broken. The plates and bowls of the rich were mostly metal — gold or silver or even pewter.

After Marco Polo returned from China and trading became established between China and Europe,  European potters became obsessed with finding the secret to this fine, delicate, strong and beautiful porcelain. Porcelain was the italian word for it. Later, as more and more imports came from China, these porcelain dishes were simply called "china ware" or "china".

European potters tried all kinds of methods to imitate the fine Chinese porcelain — mixing various things into clay to try to achieve the same delicacy and strength of the Chinese product. They tried mixing ash, and various minerals. The English attempt to strengthen clay with ground-up bones led to the creation of what we call "bone china" and the use of several kinds of ground-up stone led to that which we call "stoneware." They were finer and stronger, but heavy, and none of them was as fine, as strong and as delicate — and translucent— as porcelain.

The key to the Chinese porcelain was kaolin clay — a special clay found in only a few places. One of those places turned out to be in Germany, not far from the Meissen pottery, and German scientists developed the first successful imitations of fine china. At the same time, Father François Xavier d'Entrecolles, a French Jesuit priest resident in China sent home a long and very detailed description of the Chinese methods of production. This was published in 1712 and it set European potters on the right track. His work has been referred to as an early form of industrial espionage: whether it was, or whether it was simply scientific curiosity I'll leave it to you to decide.

What is clear is that as well as Chinese methods of production, Europeans imitated Chinese design, and of all the many motifs and patterns they copied and adapted, the blue and white Willow Pattern is undoubtedly the most famous. There are many different versions of it, and a few variations on the story it supposedly illustrates. A young Chinese girl fell in love with a poor man, but her rich father didn't approve. He wanted her to marry a rich aristocrat. The lovers ran away across the bridge, the father pursued them, they escaped, but some time later they were discovered and killed. A cautionary tale, rather than a romance.

Englishman Thomas Minton is said to have designed the original Willow Pattern plate. He combined various Chinese elements, and it's at this time — 1780 — that the story was probably invented. It doesn't seem to be an actual Chinese design or story and it doesn't seem to appear on any earlier Chinese imports. He designed it for for Thomas Turner of Caughley, Shropshire, and it was soon copied by other English potteries; Royal Worcester, Spode, Adams, Wedgwood, Davenport, Clews, Leeds and Swansea were among the earliest. 

Blue and white was a traditional and popular color scheme, in China as well as Europe, because although porcelain when fired came out a beautiful white, it had to be fired at such a high temperature that the only pigment that would reliably withstand the high furnace temperatures was cobalt blue, formed with cobalt oxide — mined in Persia and imported into China. For other colors you had to fire the pot, first at the high temperatures required for porcelain, then reglaze it and add the other colors in a second layer, then fire the pots again at a lower temperature, so blue and white was also cheaper and easier to produce.

It was hugely popular, not only for Chinese designs, but also with Italian scenes. The item above isn't a gravy boat, though you may be forgiven for thinking it. It's a "ladies urinal" also called a "bourdeloue" — very popular and useful in the 18th century with those enormous dresses. And if you want more detail about how it was used, including a painting of a woman in full dress using one, click here. (The word makes me wonder whether that's where we get the slang word for a toilet used by women in the UK and Australia -- the loo.)

Blue and white is such a pretty combination, it's no wonder it was so popular then, and has remained so ever since. The cups and saucers on the right are some old ones from my other grandmother — and even though they were made in England, you can see how the Chinese style still prevailed — no handles.

So what about you —  do you like the willow pattern design? Do you have any willow pattern plates or dishes? Remember them from your childhood? And do you have any special plates or dishes you treasure?

Comments

[Mary T]

Thank you Anne. I love these little history lessons. I don't remember my family having any dishes with the blue willow pattern. However, I do remember a toy china set I received one Christmas that had that pattern.

The first thing that I thought of as I started to read this post was a book I read as a child - BLUE WILLOW by Doris Gates. I loved that book. I checked Amazon and could not find an e-book version (sob). If my library doesn't have it I may have to order the paperback version because I have a real desire to read it again.

BTW I had to chuckle when I read what the picture (above) of the gravy boat really was.

[Rebecca Bowen]

Though I do not own any Blue Willow ware I have a few pieces of Delft by several of the different Dutch companies. I particularly love the Christmas baubles. But my main reason for commenting is to share a new twist on this old pattern. It was my first thought when I came upon your lovely pictures.
Calamityware!
https://calamityware.com/products/calamityware-platter-dinosaurs
There are also flying saucers and Godzilla
I laughed and laughed and laughed...

[LindaB]

What I heard is that "loo" comes from the phrase "Gardez l'eau", "Beware the water", or more colloquially , "Look out below" which is what people yelled as they emptied their chamber pots into the street.

[Patricia Franzino]

I have a stoneware bowl with the blue and white pattern. I never get tired of it. The pattern is always beautiful.

The pieces you have, Anne, are just lovely. I hope you find several more to add to your collection.

[Vicki Zaworski]

The ladies urinal, remarkable! I was musing last night about how on earth a woman in the 17th and 18th centuries, with those ridiculous panniers and other outrageous paraphernalia, could possibly use the 'Ladies retiring room' for anything other than powdering their noses. I shall consider using my Blue Willow 'gravy boat' for it's intended use. We can all die laughing trying while trying to figure out how.

[Anne Gracie]

Mary, a toy china set in the willow pattern sounds lovely. Just like a proper grown-up set, and so pretty. I've never heard of that book -- but best of luck in tracking it down again. And yes, that "not-a-gravy-boat" -- did you see the painting on that site of a woman in full 18th century dress, using it? You need to scroll down.

[Anne Gracie]

LOL Rebecca — took me a while to spot the dinosaurs and I laughed aloud when I did. The Willow Pattern version of "Pride and Prejudice and sea monsters."

I love Delftware, too -- in fact I think Delft was one of the early potteries that was involved in the chase to solve the mystery of Chinese porcelain. But I don't know their Christmas baubles — am off to investigate.

[Anne Gracie]

Could be, Linda, though "l'eau" is pronounced "low" and surely if that were correct we'd call a loo a low. And I've noticed that the word "loo" is most often used by women, rarely by men, which makes me wonder if it was a particularly women-centric term. But as I said, my theory is just speculation.
The origins of these things -- slang terms -- are mostly lost in obscurity.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Patricia.I agree with you about never getting tired of a blue-and-white pattern. I must admit, writing this blog and digging out my few lovely willow-pattern pieces made me wish I had more. But almost all my crockery is blue and white, and I love each piece.

[Anne Gracie]

Yes indeed, Vicki -- did you see the painting on that site of a woman in full 18th century acres of skirt, using a bourdeloue? You need to scroll down. It still looks incredibly awkward, and my guess is some poor little maidservant had to do the holding of the thing.
https://georgianera.wordpress.com/2015/11/10/what-was-a-bourdaloue/

[Sue McCormick]

I love willow ware. I have a single piece (a shallow bowl) that my aunt owned. it's not porcelain, but it is the willow pattern.

There is a 19th century blue and white (or more technically blue and slate gray) pattern called flow-ware. Originally a glazing mistake, it became quite popular. I inherited and incomplete tea set made in that pattern.

I have a picture which I will post on Facebook as soon as I can find where I have stored the picture.

[Kathleen Garraway]

I remember my mother had a cheap dinner set of the type you describe. We were children of the 50's

[Cindy A]

Where did Flow Blue ware come in. I heard it was from trying to copy the Chinese style but the blue flowed, wasn't a crisp detail, but somewhat blurred.

[Kareni]

What a fascinating article, Anne; thanks for sharing
your favorite willow pieces.

A few years before she died, my mother (raised in the Netherlands) gave her Delft ornaments to my sister and me, so my Christmas tree has its share of blue and white baubles.

I enjoyed the link you shared, Anne; how fascinating! And thank you, Rebecca, for the Calamityware link.

[Anne Gracie]

I hadn't heard of flow-ware, Sue, but when I looked it up it said it was mostly in the US. Apparently the transfer they used with the design was the thing that "flowed." The original Minton Willow Pattern design was done on a transfer, too, and the technique is still used today. In fact one of my modern plates has a clear wrinkle in the design where the transfer must have wrinkled and got baked on that way.

[Anne Gracie]

Yes, Kathleen, the willow pattern was incredibly popular and was imitated widely, from expensive brands to cheaper more everyday ones.

[Anne Gracie]

Cindy, yes, I googled it after Sue mentioned it (above) and the site said it was a US thing.

[Anne Gracie]

How lovely to have all your mother's delft ornaments, Kareni. And glad you also got a giggle out of those calamityware plates -- such fun.

[Mary M.]

A lot of older English words with a long o, oo, or u have morphed (in either durection) over the years. Google seems to lean toward gardez l'eau, but here's a page that offers several alternative sources, including waterloo—not the battle, but an early iron toilet brand.

http://www.saywhydoi.com/loo-origin-why-is-it-called-a-loo/

My imoression is that it's gardez l'eau and it goes back to medieval castles, where the open hole was built out over the edge and was not a container, if you catch my drip, um drift, but I don't remember where I read that.

[Maggie Robinson]

Loved this post! I had Johnson Bros Blue Willow plates for our everyday dishes for years, until my youngest daughter asked if she could have them when she moved to Boston after college. As I had (have) too many dish sets anyway, I agreed, although I do miss them. I used to collect flow blue, brown and white, and red and white transferware. Old dishes are my jam, although my husband threatens divorce me if I bring any more plates home. I could probably feed at least 100 people without resorting to paper plates, LOL.

[Claire Harter]

My grandmother had a set of Blue Willow dinnerware, and I just loved it. I had a cup and saucer which, sadly, disappeared during a move. I did have a small chuckle over the portrait of the woman using a bourdeloue. My cousin did a genealogical study of our family, and traced one of our family names (Bowsher) back to the Alsace/Lorraine region. As he searched further, he found that over a period of years Bowsher had been changed from Boucher,probably due to political reasons. It turns out that Francoise Boucher is of the same linage as my family. Coincidences can be very amusing sometimes!

[Vicki Zaworski]

There is some really beautiful 'China' in the article. It cerntainly gives me a new perspective. When I read period novels I will never think of a formal ball the same way again.

[Annette N]

One of my grandmothers had a blue willow set of dishes. I agree, they are lovely and for me, the pattern is a reminder of another period in time.

As for the bourdeloue, at times when looking at history I admire the innovative nature of people. At other times, I am so grateful that I live in a time where I have actual plumbing.

To be honest the examples are very pretty pieces.

Thanks, you are always a font of information.

[Anne Gracie]

Very interesting, Mary — thanks. (But you can keep your drips to yourself. )

[Anne Gracie]

Maggie, I'm with you. I still have most of my unmatched but beautiful old plates from my student days and could easily feed a crowd from them. But loving washing up as I don't, I use paper plates instead.

[Anne Gracie]

Claire so many people are digging into their genealogy and discovering all kinds of interesting things. It's wonderful how it throws up more and more stories.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Annette, yes I'm also grateful for modern plumbing. And medicine. And dentistry. And , and, and . . . I sometimes wonder, when people of the future look back to our times, what will they shudder over?

[Karin]

Yes, I remember that book too!

[Karin]

Oh, dishes are my weakness! Particularly tea sets. I've got both translucent and the Jadeite green depression glass dishes from my grandmother, cranberry glass, bone china, German and Japanese porcelain tea sets, 40's style dishes with fruit and flower patterns, and even some Homer Laughlin restaurantware; that's the kind of heavy dishes you would see in a diner 70 or 80 years ago. Alas, no Blue Willow!

[Karin]

Yes, those bourdeloues look much too lovely for their intended use!

[Michelle H]

One of the charms of restaurant ware is that it has that familiar old 'clink' when a dish or piece of flatware hits a cup or plate. The sound is part of our background memory unless it's brought to our attention.

[Michelle H]

I adore blue and white china, and do have a couple pieces of willowware. But I used to collect a piece here and there wherever I could. I have one set of dinnerware, in a pattern that's a 'nice' knock-off of Royal Copenhagen. Which I certainly did not know or care about when I started. I still love looking at it.

But my prize piece is a blue and white platter that belonged to my Grandmother. I haven't researched this pattern so I can't tell you anything about it, it's just what I think they call 'transferware.' When she was gone, my Mother knew that it was to come to me. At the time we lived in New York state, halfway across the country back when we couldn't get home for a visit more often than every three or more years. Well, my best friend carried that platter, on her lap, on the plane to come visit me. Just try and do anything like that today!! ;)

[Michelle H]

And oh Anne. I loved your pictures of your pieces. They are beautiful.

[Margaret]

I have no willow china, but when I was young girl, I read the novel Blue Willow, by Doris Gates, innumerable times. I'd be hard pressed to remember any plot details now, but just the idea of the dishes brings back a sense of deep contentment. Books are pretty wonderful that way.

[Teresa Broderick]

Enjoyed the link to the 'loo' use. Very interesting.
When I was growing up my mother had a whole willow pattern set. It seems to have disappeared over the years. I don't know what happened to it. I never took much notice of it to be honest because they were very common here in Ireland in those years. You would see them in nearly every house. When I think of it now though it really was beautiful.

[Anne Gracie]

Karin, you gave me a lot of things to google there. I also have a few green depression glass pieces, though I never knew what they were called. Old crockery is often lovely, and I love the stories that often go with it. I love handed-down pieces especially.

[Anne Gracie]

It sounds lovely, Michelle. I think "transferware" is so called because they use a transfer to put the pattern onto the unfired plate. It's the same technique than Minton first used for the willow-pattern plate.

And what a wonderful friend to carry that plate on her lap. Many years ago I did much the same, carrying two Greek bowls that had dolphins leaping around the rim — lots of little edges to break off — and I'm delighted to say they are both still intact. And you're right — they wouldn't allow that now.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Michelle. Pretty china is a weakness of mine.

[Anne Gracie]

That's lovely, Margaret. And yes, it's wonderful how a good book will nestle inside you for years, bringing warm thoughts and feelings. I looked BLUE WILLOW up, since it was mentioned a few times in the comments, and it's still available as a book, though not on kindle, alas.

[Anne Gracie]

It was pretty common in Australia, too, Teresa, but it seems to have disappeared as well. I hope it comes back, though.

I thought about doing a post about it after I'd posted a few food pics on FB, using a willow pattern plate because it made a nice contrast, and the plate itself was commented on almost as much as the food. And I do like things with a story attached.