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The Willow pattern is a distinctive and elaborate chinoiserie pattern used on ceramic kitchen/housewares. Many different Chinese-inspired landscape patterns were at first produced in this way, both on bone china or porcellanous wares, and on white earthenware or pearlware.
Why is it called Willow Pattern?
The design is thought to have been inspired by a Japanese fairy tale called The Green Willow and Chinese variants of it which tells of two thwarted lovers. Then, in 1849, an article called ‘The Story of the Common Willow Pattern Plate’ was published in The Family Friend magazine.
Is Willow Pattern worth anything?
Some Blue Willow china is worth money It’s considered better quality than mass-produced versions made later in China, Japan and the U.S. Unique pieces such as covered dishes and coffee pots are also more valuable than dishes and cups.
What is the Willow Pattern rhyme?
‘Two birds flying high, A Chinese vessel, sailing by. A bridge with three men, sometimes four, A willow tree, hanging o’er.
What Colour is Willow Pattern?
Its classic components are a weeping willow, pagoda-like structures, three men on a quaint bridge, and a pair of swallows, and the usual colour scheme is blue on white, though there are variants. Very similar landscape patterns in the Chinese taste had been used earlier.
Is the Willow Pattern story true?
The Willow Pattern itself illustrates a bogus but believable Chinese legend—downmarket boy elopes with upmarket girl and they end up being transformed into a pair of doves, the main elements of the story laid out within the ornate pattern, including that all-important willow tree.
What is the story about blue willow dishes?
The Legend of the Blue Willow Tso Ling was the father of a beautiful girl, Kwang-se, who was the promised bride of an old but wealthy merchant. The girl, however, fell in love with Chang, her father’s clerk. The lovers eloped across the sea to the cottage on the island.
How do I know if my blue willow is valuable?
Look for Clues About the Date Some new pieces are unmarked, although they will often say “Made in China” or have another modern backstamp. Early Blue Willow pieces have a softer glaze and a lighter overall feel. Older pieces may have some signs of crazing or light cracking on the surface of the glaze.
How old is the willow pattern?
It was probably for Spode that the English Willow pattern was created and first produced perhaps around 1790, because it incorporates particular, distinctive features of earlier Chinese willow scenes which were already known and imitated at the Spode factory.
How do I know if my old dishes are worth anything?
Look for a back stamp or marker stamp. This is the easiest way to identify the manufacturer of your dinnerware, although in many cases the stamps may have faded or become illegible. Once you know the manufacturer, you can look up the approximate value of the piece online.
What is blue and white China pattern called?
Blue and white ware also began making its appearance in Japan, where it was known as sometsuke. Various forms and decorations were highly influenced by China, but later developed its own forms and styles.
What is the blue and white porcelain pattern called?
Take the ever-popular classic blue-and-white china pattern—Blue Willow—for instance. Even the origin of this timeless pattern is, well, a timeless love story. It grew in prominence in 18th-century England, with its inspiration stemming from Chinese ceramics and, most notably, a fable about star-crossed lovers.
What color is blue willow?
One of the best paint colors for bedrooms, bathrooms, or kitchens – Blue Willow is a midtone, neutral, jade aqua-green with a malachite undertone.
Who made the original Blue Willow?
During the 1780s, many intricate designs were inspired by and adapted from motifs that were hand painted on ceramic pieces imported from China to England. The Blue Willow pattern, first created by a man named Thomas Turner, became the most popular of these depictions.
Who makes Blue Danube china?
Blue Danube China At A Glance This Blue Danube pattern was manufactured for 59 years by the Blue Danube China company, based in Japan. Rarely will you find a china pattern with the provenance of Blue Danube China.
Does Blue Willow china have lead in it?
Question: Are Blue Willow Dishes Lead Free? Answer: Um, no. In fact most of them have incredibly high levels of lead (in a range that I would consider as not safe to eat off of.) Please read on for more information about lead found in examples of Blue Willow dishes.
How much are Blue Willow plates worth?
Prices on Blue Willow vary from high to low ($10 to $1000+), with older English pieces bringing the highest values and newer American or Japanese pieces bringing the lowest.
What is the most collectable china?
Royal Copenhagen makes some of the finest and most expensive china dishes in the world. The Flora Danica pattern retails for nearly seven thousand dollars for a five piece place setting.
Is my old china worth anything?
Antique fine bone china can be worth a lot of money, especially when it’s a rare piece from a renowned manufacturer. To make sure it’s fine bone china, hold it up to the light. If it has a translucent, almost see-through quality, then it is.
Is Blue Willow china dishwasher safe?
Blue Willow by Churchill China Originally hand engraved in the 19th century onto copper plates, great skill was used to achieve the utmost detail and clarity. Blue Willow has since become a timeless classic, collected all over the world. Microwave and dishwasher safe.
Is Flow Blue valuable?
Flow Blue Price Guide Inexpensive pieces start around $10, but some are much more valuable. As with all antique dish values, condition is very important.
What is the most valuable blue and white china?
The Most Expensive Porcelain In 12 July, 2005, an exceptionally rare and specially-themed blue and white Yuan era jar was sold for £15.7 million at Christie’s in London. It became the most expensive Asian work of art.
Was Blue Willow made in Japan?
From 1921 to 1941, the pieces read Made in Japan or Japan. Those made between 1948-1953 read Occupied Japan. Blue Willow once was popular in restaurants where a heavier type divided plate china was utilized. “It was served on a blue plate.”Oct 25, 2002.
Is the willow pattern Chinese?
The Willow Pattern was a blue and white transfer-printed composite design which brought together Buddhist imagery, pagodas, landscapes, birds and trees from Chinese porcelain. The pattern is said to be woven around a romantic story of star-crossed lovers eloping together.
How much are antique plates worth?
According to an interview with antiques expert Harry Rinker in the Allentown Morning Call, most collector plates are now worth about 15% to 25% of their original purchase price.
Is Churchill china made in England?
Manufactured in the UK, Churchill’s tableware is precisely engineered to perform to the demands of the hospitality environment.
