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| Book cover featuring Willow pattern and a coffee pot in pattern 2061 Cabbage pattern |
Spode's Willow pattern is probably one of the most successful patterns ever
made. I can't really add much to the history as written by Robert
Copeland. So, for those who want to find factual, in-depth information there
is a specialist book on the subject. Click here for the details on my booklist of Spode's Willow Pattern and Other Designs
After the Chinese.
Spode produced a number
of patterns, as well as Willow, in the style of 18th century Chinese porcelain in the late 1700s and
early 1800s, as did other manufacturers. In his book Robert Copeland attributes the
design of the Willow pattern to Spode, around 1790, and discusses the background
to this and other Spode designs taken from Chinese porcelain. Although in
the late 18th/early 19th century any blue printed design imitating Chinese porcelain
was often described as Willow,
the main features of the true Willow pattern are
the bridge with three people crossing it, the willow tree, the boat, the main teahouse,
the two birds and the fence in the foreground of the garden.
Interestingly the
two patterns in blue printed ware which were the most successful for
Spode are both composite designs. Willow pattern is one of these and is made up from elements
of Chinese porcelain designs but for which there is no Chinese original; the
other is Italian pattern, introduced in about 1816, which has a central
design made up from unconnected classical elements surrounded by a border. The border is a direct copy of an Imari design on Chinese export porcelain
of about 1735. These 'made up' patterns were much more commercially successful for
Spode than, for example, one of my favourites, Rock pattern (illustrated) taken from a Chinese original.
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| Chinese porcelain source for Rock pattern, 18th century |
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| Spode sugar box, Old Oval shape, Rock pattern, pearlware, printed underglaze, gilded, c1795 |
Chinese-style
patterns of all sorts always remained successful for Spode throughout its
history. They appealed to customers who had a more traditional, even
old-fashioned taste, and were catered for alongside new customers demanding
'modern' designs of topographical, pastoral or botanical subjects which were
coming into vogue in the early 1800s. Spode pieces of this period, and those of
comparable manufacturers, were skilfully potted with a beautiful silky glaze
and have fine engravings on elegant shapes. Supper sets, leg baths, rouge pots,
asparagus servers and teawares, all indicate customers of
taste and wealth. The ordinary person would not be using this type of ware in
the late 1700s and early 1800s.
Willow was made off and on from the late 1700s through to
the early 2000s; Italian was in continuous production from about 1816 and
is still made under the Spode brand name by Portmeirion Group today (2013). Both
have been made in different colours and on different bodies although probably most
variations have occurred to Willow.
Many people relate the 'Willow pattern story' when talking about this ceramic
design. The story is apocryphal and actually has nothing at all to do with Spode.
The earliest publication of the
story found so far is in The Family Friend Volume I of 1849. This is many years after
the origination of the pattern. It was published as The Story of
the Common Willow-Pattern Plate, so it seems obvious from the title of the story
that by 1849 the Willow pattern
had become commonplace, no longer limited to well-to-do families who had
by this date moved on from Chinese designs.
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| Pink Willow bone china, c1880 |
You can learn more about transfer printing by clicking the following links: Spode Exhibition Online, Transferware Collectors Club and on my blog Spode and Hogarth. Click here for an extra treat! then scroll down to Willow Pattern for an image of Spode's Willow pattern and other designs after the Chinese.....
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| Tissue pull, Willow pattern. The stage between copper and ceramic. |