Thursday, February 21, 2013

A Treasured Love

I have been in love with blue willow china for as long as I can remember .
My Grandma had several pieces .
I can remember my Papa drinking his morning coffee out of one of the cups and saucers .
First he would pour hot coffee into the cup
then pour some of it into the saucer to cool . He would sip the cooled coffee from the saucer .

Many years later I was watching the movie Paint Your Wagon
and
Clint Eastwood was drinking his coffee the same way from a blue willow cup and saucer !

When my son was small we went to many garage sales
and
I found so many pieces . I paid almost nothing for them .
Now I rarely find any and it is very expensive when I do !
I have a very large collection .
My favorite pieces are marked on the back JAPAN in black .
I use blue willow china everyday but I use the newer  made  blue willow
because it safe to eat from  . The older pieces contain lead .
Dax and Petra eat pancakes every morning on my blue willow plates .

I am drawn to the romantic elements of the designs on the pieces .
Each piece bears the same elements of
doves kissing in midair above a graceful willow tree,
a pagoda,
a bridge where three small figures hurry,
a fence, an island
and
a man in a boat .

They tell the story of this best known tale first printed in an English magazine in 1849
that recounts the romance between
a young well born maiden, Koong Shee,
and her star crossed lover, Chang .
As they fled her arranged marriage they were pursued and killed .
Merciful gods turned the pair into birds
flying together across a china sky forever!




I have many lovely reasons to treasure this china forever!

Dottie
I am linking to A Favorite Thing.


15 comments:

  1. I have loved Blue Willow since I was a child, too. I passed my pieces along to my daughter when I started cleaning out to downsize. I hope she will pass them along to one of her daughters someday- xo Diana

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  2. I love all blue and white dishes too. Didn't know the history. Type in blue and white dishes into the upper left corner of my blog to see what I did with some of mine. And, Dottie, thank you so much for your kind words about Birdie. It was unexpected so I'm still kind of in shock and hurting. I miss him so.

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  3. I love the China from my grandparents - Roosters! Such wonderful memories!

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  4. I love blue willow, and have some of my grand mother's pieces.

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  5. My great grandma had blue willow china! Thanks for reminding me how lovely it is! Jean

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  6. Your collection is beautiful! I love the story you told about the star-crossed lovers. I don't have any Blue Willow but I do think it is lovely.

    Thanks so much for joining in this week!

    xo
    Claudia

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  7. Pretty dishes. My grandparents had the bl/wh Currier and Ives (I think it's called). Ate off that many times!!

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  8. Clint Eastwood must have taken lessons on coffee drinking from your Papa!
    Thanks for telling the story of this pattern...

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  9. I've always loved this china, but never new the story about it. Thanks
    Balisha

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  10. What a wonderful collection. I have a passion for blue and white china. It's a mish-mash of styles, but I love them all. I love the story behind the Willow Tree pattern. I didn't know that, so thanks for sharing.

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  11. You have a beautiful collection
    treasure it well.

    Wishing you a good week full of smiles and happiness

    Fiona

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  12. They are classically beautiful and special to you for the memories. My Daddy drank out of a green Fire King mug...I still have it. And I remember him pouring coffee into a saucer to cool, too! Such sweet memories!

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  13. I've been cleaning out the garage and recently came across a few orphan Blue Willow saucers. I was going to toss them, but instead am using them. How can you tell the unsafe from the safe? Love your collection ~ and do I spy flow blue mixed in?

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