WILLOW PATTERN CHINA.

Willow Pattern.

I have been always fascinated by the Willow pattern China porcelain and I have been always buying a few cups and dishes in car boot sales. I always though it was a China product, however it is a Victorian product due to the Orientalism and Exotika derived by trade.  A romantic perspective what we have about the unknown places. Thomas Minton around 1780 designed this pattern for Caughley in Shrosphire. It was inspired by Chinese designs and using a innovative method called transferware.
"Many other factories copied the pattern, including Wedgwood, Spode and Davenport in Staffordshire, and it was even adopted by the Chinese (although hand-painted) and then exported back to Europe." (1)

The Willow pattern fable has been inspired by the people fond of this porcelain creating a fairytale in its evolution since 1780. For instance,there were not the couple of doves in the original pattern.

Willow Doves detail

Wedding Cake.

Miss Chna. 2012. National Costume.

The doves symbolised a couple in love, a princess and a peasant who made possible the transcendence of their love with the help of the gods. They felt compassion for them, due to the all the obstacles to live their love and transformed them in these beautiful doves. The Weeping Willow tree is a fundamental  and central component in the pattern, symbolising  life and death. Other elements in the pattern are a temple, figures crossing a bridge and a distand island.

The Willow pattern has neven been out of fashion, always being very popular and affordable. In old Hollywood films shows the Willow China in kitchens along western movies and classical movies. Nowadays, it has been the inspiration for fashion, furniture, jellewery and so many modern objects such as covers for mobiles and laptops. The Willowmania can go further to have it in your own skin with a tattoo.

(1) Treasures in your home. Reader's Digest. 1993.

Cavalli´s dress in 2005. Victoria Beckam made this dress very popular.

Furniture with Willow Tapestry.

Amazing socks.

A beautiful way to upcicle China.

Mobile Cover.

Vintage knitting Willow pattern 1940.

Jewellery made with broken Willow china.

Fashion Art with broken China.

Willow Tattoo.

TIME WARP & WEFT

This blog

is about my daily research on everyday life from Jane Austen and the regency period, to the time of Marilyn Monroe.

However, as you maybe already have noticed, my interest these days is in the nineteen forties (WWII). I´m focusing on everyday life on the home front in the UK. And also on ´Timewarpians,´ people who live in their favourite era from the past. Sonia Bartol


SPANISH DEFINITION OF TIME WARP & WEFT
DEFINICION DE TIME WARP & WEFT
TIME WARP: es un término de ciencia ficción que significa deformación del tiempo. Sin embargo, recientemente se le ha llamado Timewarpians a personas que no solamente se visten con ropa vintage, si no también han decorado sus casas según su década favorita y viven según los estándares de la época. Es decir, es un estilo de vida, no una moda.
WARP & WEFT: Son términos referentes al acto de tejer; en castellano, se traduce como urdimbre y trama. El hilo o la lana deben ir intercalándose horizontalmente y verticalmente para conseguir una textura.
Por lo tanto, pretendo investigar la evolución de cómo ha sido la vida diaria de las personas a lo largo de los dos últimos siglos, lo que sería la urdimbre (diacronía) y me iré deteniendo en ciertas décadas, en tiempos determinados que serían las tramas (sincronía). Ya que es imposible abarcar tanto históricamente, aunque me apasione desde el periodo de Regencia vivido por Jane Austen hasta lo último, ultimísimo definible como vintage, antes de pasar a lo denominado como retro.
De hecho, ahora, estoy investigando la década de los cuarenta en el Reino Unido. Me fascina como la gente sobrevivió durante la segunda guerra mundial y como durante años obedecieron las órdenes de Churchill y el gabinete de guerra hasta llegar a la Victoria.
Aunque, siendo este año el centenario del comienzo de la Primera Guerra Mundial; me enfocaré también el día a día de las mujeres y su rol durante esta guerra. Ya que fue el comienzo del concepto de “mujer moderna”.
Sonia Bartol