You've no doubt seen the pattern, but do you know the story?
The blue willow pattern tells more than a forbidden love story. It tells of the emergence of global trade, modernization of production and the adaptation of culture.
Let's talk about the significance of this pattern and the story behind the design.
The design
The design has many variations based on the time and place it was produced, but it will always feature these elements:
- Willow Tree | A weeping willow on the edge of a lake
- Boat | Boat heading towards the house
- Bridge | Three people running over a bridge
- Fence | A fence along around the house
- Sparrows | Two birds in flight
- Border | An intricate border around the edge of the design
the story goes...
I love a good tragedy
But let's talk about some of the underlying issues represented by the creation of this iconic pattern.
BRITAIN STARTS IMPORTING FROM CHINA
Great Britain started its love affair with tea in them mid-1600s. But it wasn't until the early 1700s that the East India Company started directly importing from China.
The British take on tea was vastly different from how tea was consumed in China, but it spread like wildfire. Soon, "tea time" became standard and the need for tea and goods from China skyrocketed.
ROMANTICIZED CULTURE
While the pattern was designed by a British engraver, the images within the design were replicated from other blue and white porcelain designs coming out of Qing Dynasty China.
The pattern tells not only a tragic love story, but an affair of one culture adopting elements from another.
MANUFACTURING CHANGES
The late 1700s saw the budding industry of mass production. At the time the pattern was developed, the ceramics industry in Great Britain was transitioning away from hand painted ceramics to engraved and print glazed transfers.
Once the design was popularized, the pattern was produced in Jingdezhen, China, and eventually many countries around the world.
GLOBAL INFLUENCE
The story of this pattern mirrors the story of modern society. A powerful nation adapts elements from another culture, turns it into something new, then as its popularity grows, production is copied all over the world so it can be exported. This might sound normal today, but at the time it was a new way of doing things.
Epilogue
The story is of convergence. It tells of a time when global trade and foreign influence was budding. It tells of the revolution of mass production. It tells of the romanticization and fetishizing of a culture. And it tells the story of a love that could not be but found a way.
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