Willow Patterned Teapot
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| Screen Capture from Trade Me (Auctioned Piece Webpage), taken 18/04/2012
The
blue and white Willow Pattern is a style I grew up with. I never did like it
when my Grandmother brought it out of her cupboard. It was just ugliness in my
eyes.
While
browsing through Trade Me for a piece for this assignment I came across a blue
and white Willow patterned teapot. It made me curious to know why such an ugly
pattern could be so popular even today.
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| Image from Trade Me (Auctioned Piece Webpage), taken 18/04/2012
The Willow Pattern also known, as the Blue
Willow is a pattern that has been used in ceramic kitchen/housewares for over 200
years. “Willow” is a term that was applied in a general way to many of the
copies of the blue and white porcelain that was imported into England from
China during the last half of the eighteenth century. According to Birks, S. (n.d.) the pattern was originally
designed by Thomas Minton around 1790.
For the past
century and a half the Willow Pattern has been the common pattern of nearly
every British Pottery manufacturer. At times its popularity has decreased but
eventually it has regained its popularity again.
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| Image from Trade Me (Auctioned Piece Webpage), taken 18/04/2012
Also according
to Birks, S. (n.d.) the Willow Pattern has changed over
time. The original did not have the two Doves or the “Apple tree’’, these were
added later. Apart from this the differences are only slight.
From what I can see the teapot I found on
Trade Me is not one with the original Willow Pattern but the pattern with the
alterations. It still very much looks like the original though.
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| Image from Trade Me (Auctioned Piece Webpage), taken 18/04/2012
After doing some research into the Willow
Pattern I discovered that there is a story behind the pattern. En.wikipedia
refers to it as “The Willow Legend.” The story gives an outline to the meaning
behind the pattern we see and describes the picture you see within the
pattern. The following link takes you to the website where I found the story "The Willow Legend."
if you are interested in an extra read.
Trade Me Link: http://www.trademe.co.nz/pottery-glass/porcelain-pottery/other-british-manufacturers/other/auction-458298981.htm
Birks, S. (n.d.). The Willow Pattern Story. Retrieved from http://www.thepotteries.org/patterns/willow.html Willow Pattern. (2012, March 3rd). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_pattern Moon & Back Graphics. (1999, May 23rd). The Story of Blue Willow. Retrieved from http://www.angelfire.com/mt/bevspage/page5.html All research and information regarding the Willow Pattern was found at the websites referenced above. |
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