Ending August With Blue Willow

To close out August, I am sharing a perennial favorite today...various versions of the Willow pattern. Willow has always been popular and therefore was frequently made by various potters. Because of it's long life as a pattern and relative abundance of pieces, it is often overlooked as an important part of pottery design.

It's origins go back to 1792 and Josiah Wedgwood.  

Blue Willow comes from a Chinese legend of 2 lovers, forbidden to marry who elope and are chased by the emperor. At the end, the boy is killed defending his fiance and the girl commits suicide. Sigh...not too cheerful.  

The elements that usually turn up are: of course, the Willow tree, the bridge the lovers crossed to elude pursuers...often with the lovers or with 3 people being variously the lovers and a helper or the lovers and the emperor...

a house they took refuge in and, of course,  always includes 2 birds, doves flying together representing the 2 lovers which has become a symbol of undying love.

It is fun to compare the elements of the design, and the various names as well.

Willow or Blue Willow has been in constant production by at least one poyyrty al though the years since it's inception, and has been made by hundresd over the years...
This teapot is a current version of the design by Johnson Brothers from 2004... but the same cherished elements...

This is a Royal Grafton, England version from the 1940s in bone china.

There are even versions in red, yellow and green, although the blue is the most popular....

This is a red, unmarked early 1920s version in red...

Wedgwood made this Yellow Willow pattern in the 1920s as well...

And Masons, England made this Green Willow version in the 1920-1930s...

And this, a very thin porcelain version from Occupied Japan which dates it from 1945-1954.

And a 1930s version by Royal Albert Crown, England , the early Royal Albert mark, in their version called Mikado, but all the usual Willow elements including the 2 birds. Having it in a pink variation is nice too!

There are just so many other versions and colors you would not believe!

A 1960s version from the North Staffordshire Pottery, that had just been acquired by Ridgway, England in their Willow version...

And another English version from a short lived pottery, Royal Venton, that only operated between 1923-1936.

To go along with all the English Willow, I have out my tin of Harney and Sons Royal English Breakfast which is a nice medium strong black tea I always have on hand...

And I baked a dried cherry chocolate chip cake this week... sort of an amalgamation of 3 different recipe I had around, and it turned out really nicely. We always enjoy a bit of cake at teatime!

So...long live Willow, and may there be many more versions to come to extend a wonderful history!