Willow

For as long as I can remember I have loved Willow pattern crockery. I don't remember where I first saw it, perhaps in a department store, for it certainly wasn't in my mother's kitchen. She preferred modern kitchenware, furniture, houses, clothing, everything had to be simple and modern. Yet here I was, the child, with a direct radar signal that led me to anything and everything old fashioned.

One of the first dinner sets I ever bought was Willow pattern and I have collected accessories in the same design throughout the years.

There is a story to the design of the Willow pattern, which originated in England around 1780 at the Caughley porcelain factory.

The story goes ~
"Koong-She, a mandarin's daughter, loved her father's secretary, Chang. Father, having arranged a marriage with a wealthy suitor, shut her in a terrace house, to be seen close by the temple on the right of the plate. Chang rose to the occasion and rescued the maiden, although hotly persued by the father across the bridge.

The couple lived happily, almost ever after, in Chang's little house across the harbour. However, eventually the frustrated suitor found them and burnt the house down while they were sleeping. True love never dies, and Koong-She and Chang arose Phoenix like from the ashes, in the form of two doves."

There is a poem of the Willow pattern story, which apparently many children learn at school, although I didn't. Fortunately though, I do have a copy of the poem ~

"Two pigeons flying high,
Chinese vessel sailing by,
Weeping willow hanging o'er,
Bridge with three men if not four,
Chinese temple, there it stands,
Seems to cover all the land,
Apple tree with apples on,
A pretty fence to end my song."

To this day I have no idea whatsoever what it was that drew me to Willow pattern crockery, but I hope you have enjoyed hearing the story today....for something a little bit different. :))