Willow pattern is probably the best known and most enduring example of English chinoiserie design. It is generally accepted that Thomas Minton engraved the earliest version in the 18th century.
Willow pattern is wholly English in concept, but completely Chinese in inspiration. It is not a direct copy from any Chinese design, but is a composite drawn from Chinese sources. The early versions vary quite a lot, but by the first decade of the 19th century a standard pattern had emerged, and this is still being produced today. It has even found its way back to China.
The willow pattern was produced by many potteries and proved to be very popular. Stories and legends then grew up around the design. Although the stories varied, they usually centred on a pair of doomed lovers who are turned into birds by sympathetic gods. The first known printed version of the willow pattern legend was published in the magazine, The Family Friend, in 1849.
YORCM : 2007.446
Information by - Michelle
The Bodleian Library, Oxford has a copy of the prostpectus printed for The family friend [c. 1849], with the printed illustration of the willow-patterned plate mentioned above.
Elizabeth Mathew September 12th, 2008 at 3:30 pm